2025 Boys Postseason #8 - Nov. 20
by Admin on 11/20/25
November 20, 2025 Final Four Preview (Blog #8)
We’ve almost made it…the final off day before the last two days of the season and eventually four state champions in year 58 of MO HS Soccer. The Final Four returns to the World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton after having to move to Lindenwood last year due to field damage caused by flooding. Tickets for each day are $12 and can be purchased online at: https://www.mshsaa.org/Tickets.aspx
If you can’t attend, you can always buy the MSHSAA TV package and watch from home or a streaming device. https://www.mshsaa.tv/
A quick analysis of the games so far and a review for the new readers. Our MO Power Rankings (MPR) uses a points system to rank the teams in each class. The two opponents are compared with those scores and the favorite would be the one with higher (+) MPR score. What we have found is that anything within a .40 margin is virtually a tossup and the place where the most upsets would occur because the teams are so closely matched. Beyond the .40 and the upsets become less frequent, but also the more surprising. Once it gets above 1.00, we get into shocker range as those rarely occur, but certainly do happen.
By the numbers:
211 matches played so far
42 MPR “upsets”
+0-.40 separation: 28
+.41-.99 separation: 13
+1.00 and above: 5
Quarterfinals: 3 upsets, but all within .40. In fact, the biggest upset was Principia’s 5-4 win over Tolton (+.23). Perryville’s 1-0 result over Bayless (+.19) and Park Hill South over Blue Springs South (+.17) 2-1 in 2OT were the other two.
Class 1
#1 Veritas Christian (.30) 20-5 vs. #3 Metro 14-5 10 am Field 2
#6 Lone Jack (+.73) 17-7 vs. #16 Laquey 13-10 12:15 pm Field 2
Veritas Christian: The former Christian High School changed its name to Veritas in 2024 and is making its first Final Four appearance. The Eagles, under Coach David Watts, roll into Fenton after barely breaking a sweat in the playoffs so far, outscoring Canton, Lutheran North and Fatima by a 13-1 margin…Veritas has also had its share of close games and should be ready for any extra-time game after going 4-1 in PK shootouts throughout the year…Veritas last played Metro in 2011 and has won the last five matchups overall.
Metro: This is the third consecutive playoff appearance for the Panthers under Coach Elizabeth Arens, but first Final Four. District play wasn’t an issue for Metro as they cruised by Crossroads 7-1 and Brentwood 6-1, but the quarterfinal proved to be a challenge as it took 2OTs to eliminate last year’s champ, Valley Park. A rough stretch in early October saw the Panthers lose five of six, but Metro has since won eight in a row.
Lone Jack: Coach Bryan Davenport’s Mules advanced to their second Final Four (and first since 2020’s 3rd place when no consolation games were played), by virtue of two nail-biters with familiar teams. The first was a 2-1 victory at Barstow in the district final, avenging an earlier loss, and the second a rollercoaster 3-2 win over #8 Faith Christian in the quarters. LJ had topped FCA a few weeks back, 1-0, as part of a current eight-game winning streak. This will be their first matchup with Laquey. Each team shares losses to Southern Boone and wins over Stover this season.
Laquey: The Hornets return to the semis for their second visit after finishing fourth in 2023. An uptick in defense has fueled the Hornets run under Coach Aaron Thier as they have yet to concede a goal in the postseason. The offense has been bottled up as of late (only five in the three postseason games), but Laquey is still averaging almost 4 goals per game on the season. Laquey has 10 losses on the season, but only two to C1 teams: Greenwood in 2OT and Crocker to open the year.
Class 2
#13 Perryville (+.11) 15-4 vs. #18 Principia 13-11 2:30 pm Field 2
#1 Springfield Catholic (+1.57) 28-1 vs. #16 Harrisonville 15-8 5 pm Field 2
Perryville: Coach Jerry Fulton’s Pirates return to their fourth semi and first since finishing second in 2021. Perryville won the C2 crown in 2014 and also finished second in 2015, but this is only the second postseason appearance since then. The Pirates haven’t played a road game in the postseason and opponents have known all too well how difficult it is to win at Perryville Park over the years, especially in the playoffs. Perryville used a 77th minute goal to take out #8 Bayless in the quarters after a 78th minute converted penalty against #31 St. Pius (Festus) decided a tense 3-2 district championship win.
Principia: The Panthers arrive in Fenton the product of a salty schedule that saw a four-game losing streak to end the regular season turn into a four-game playoff roll. Coach Nigel Marples’ squad, a year after an 18-2 season in C3, cruised to an 8-0 win over Jennings to open district play before avenging an earlier loss to St. Charles West 3-0 in the semis. From there it’s been interesting - a 2-1 OT win over Orchard Farm, ending the Eagles streak of three consecutive Final Four appearances. The quarterfinal first half against #11 Father Tolton couldn’t have been much better - a 5-1 lead going into the break, but the second half got scary when Tolton got to within 5-4. The Panthers make their fourth semi, winning titles in 2015 and 2019 and finishing second in 2018.
Springfield Catholic: The Irish may be the biggest favorites of any team in any class to come out with a title after a dominating season back in C2. Two wins this weekend for Coach Tom Davidson’s squad would give Catholic 30 wins and his first title after 32 years on the boys sidelines with Kickapoo, Ozark (the only blemish this year in late Sept.) and Catholic. The 3-1 quarterfinal win over #5 Marshall wasn’t perfect after having to play with 10 players for 50 minutes, but the Irish showed how good they can be, breaking a second half 1-1 tie with two goals a man down. Only three of their 29 games this year came down to a goal - the loss to Ozark and two wins over playoff squads Glendale and Rockwood Summit. Catholic is making its 9th semi appearance - winning C1 in 2011 and 2012.
Harrisonville: Coach Dan Coleman’s squad faces the biggest MPR deficit in the Final Four, but the Wildcats have historically found a way to succeed against better competition as this is their sixth playoff in the past nine years. The common opponents (Marshall and Pembroke Hill) both rolled Harrisonville, while Catholic owns wins over each. If the Harrisonville team that posted five shutouts in the past seven games shows up, well, soccer has a way of making things interesting. A potentially wet surface also plays to the underdog’s game and rain is forecast for most of Friday. Harrisonville finished fourth in both 2017 and 2021.
Class 3
#4 Ft. Zumwalt East (+.01) 17-5-1 vs. #5 Rockwood Summit 13-9 11 am Field 1
#3 Van Horn (+.57) 23-1 vs. #10 Summit Christian 25-3 1:30 pm Field 1
Ft. Zumwalt East: The Lions roar into their first semis on a high after a wild 3-2 OT win over #7 Priory in the quarters, rallying from a 2-0 halftime deficit. This semi is a virtual dead heat as the two teams are separated by .01 in the MPR. Coach Nolan Wesche’s squad has had no success against Rockwood Summit in the past (0-6 since 2016, including a 2-0 loss Sept. 22), but the Lions do own a 1-0 win over Ft. Zumwalt South in the district finals, while Summit fell to FZS 3-1. FZE finished 9-2 down the stretch, losing 1-0 games to C4 semifinalist Fort Zumwalt West and Francis Howell Central.
Rockwood Summit: The Falcons have been riding the lightning this season and that certainly showed up in the playoffs. Coach Tom Wade’s group battled through back-to-back OT games in the quarters and district finals, but found a way in each. The 2-1 district win over rival Webster Groves was drama enough, but the 4-3 OT classic at Notre Dame (Cape) epitomized the Falcons season best. An early 2-0 lead, a 2-2 tie, a late 3-2 lead and then OT before advancing on an own goal pretty much sums up a team that at one point lost six in a row and seven of eight but still found a way to make its fifth Final Four. Summit won titles in 2016 and 2019.
Van Horn: The Falcons are back after finishing 4th last year. Coach Jesus Rodriguez has built a C3 power in KC and hasn’t lost since game 3 against Parkway Central. Since then its been 21 straight wins, although the playoffs haven’t been easy. East (3-1), Lincoln Prep (3-2) and St. Michael (1-0) all challenged the favored Falcons. VH is quite familiar with its semi opponent, Summit Christian, having topped them twice 2-1 earlier this season, twice in 2024 and losing to them twice in 2023. There won’t be a lot of secrets in this one - these two know each other well - even playing six common opponents where VH was 6-0 and SCA was 5-1. This one will be played at a high pace with the Falcons looking for its first final appearance in four appearances, all since 2018.
Summit Christian Academy: The smallest school in the C3 Final Four - the Eagles enrollment is nearly 500 students fewer than the other three schools - but Coach Rich Barrow’s senior-heavy squad has played big all year. Besides the two losses to VH, SCA also fell 1-0 to Pembroke Hill in the season finale, so only three goals separate them from a perfect record. SCA has relied on a stout defense in the postseason, posting four shutouts in four games, including a 5-0 win over #21 Carl Junction in the quarters, the largest margin of any quarterfinal win. The Eagles finished second in C1 in 2022, the school’s only other Final Four appearance.
Class 4
#2 SLUH (+.55) 22-3-2 vs. #9 Ft. Zumwalt West 19-3-2 4 pm Field 1
#1 Rockhurst (+1.50) 22-0-1 vs. #29 Park Hill South 18-5 7 pm Field 1
SLUH: A 2-2 start of the season for the defending C4 champs didn’t seem to be a positive sign, but Bob O’Connell’s team has righted the ship since in search of the school’s fifth title. In fact, the only team to blemish the Jr. Billikens record is the one it just eliminated in the quarters Saturday. #24 Vianney had been a thorn all season - tying SLUH 0-0 midway through the season in the CBC Tournament and then surprising them 3-2 in the season finale. However, SLUH, the 2025 Champions League winners, took care of the Griffins 3-0 in Saturday’s quarters, a brief respite from the three one-goal games it won in the D2 tourney, including a 2-1 finals win over last year’s C3 champ Ladue. SLUH has history on its side (17 previous Final Four appearances to FZW’s 0), but common opponents and results would say that this is going to be a very competitive match.
Fort Zumwalt West: First-year Head Coach Brian Hruby didn’t exactly take the most orthodox way into the school’s first semis, but he and his Jaguars will certainly take it. An OT free kick goal - scored from near midfield directly into the net from its GK - propelled FZW over Francis Howell Saturday 2-1. FZW, hadn’t appeared in the postseason since 2018 and 2019, but the Jags are on a roll, going 15-0-2 since its last loss to Ladue Sept. 20. FZW owns wins over St. Dominic, Vianney and CBC this year, so the Jags will be battle-tested and ready for the defending champs.
Rockhurst: Ho-hum…here we are again with another Hawklet team looking to finalize a magical season with a state title. Rockhurst and Coach Matt Darby rarely miss out on the postseason fun as the school seeks its record-setting 11th title (CBC and Rockhurst both have 10). This year’s edition has been just as good as any with its only smudge a 3-3 tie against national power Gonzaga out of Washington, DC. The Rock is also looking to erase the memory of last season’s 3-1 loss in the semis to DeSmet, a loss that ended the Hawklets run of three consecutive titles. How impressive has Rockhurst been? Even if the Hawklets lose both games this weekend, it would still mark the 5th consecutive season with two or fewer losses. If there is one “flaw” in Rockhurst’s history - and this is nitpicking - it’s the 15-14 record in semis as opposed to 19-10 in Saturday games and 10-5 in the finals.
Park Hill South: Final Four number four for the Panthers will likely conjure up some not so great feels from the last time PHS earned a trip. Coach Chris Farmer’s group took eventual national champ Rockhurst deep into the 2023 finals before losing 2-1 on a stunning goal with just five seconds left in regulation. The Panthers earned the rematch with some ’25 drama of its own, punching in a rebound with just eight seconds left in the 2nd OT Saturday against #21 Blue Springs South. The 2-1 upset win came on the heels of a shocking 5-1 dismantling of #17 Liberty North in the district finals. The Panthers do have a 3-1 record against common Rockhurst opponents, with only a 2-0 loss to Lee’s Summit West. Rockhurst edged LSW 2-1.
Enjoy the weekend!
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