2026 Boys Postseason #4 (11-4)

2026 Boys Blog #4

Hope everyone has dried out and warmed up after a wet, cool Fall MO night on the soccer fields. We had several matches get pushed back due to the multiple lines of rain that seemed to cover most of the state, so hopefully everyone gets back on track tonight. Originally scheduled for 51 games, we got 44 of them in. We will crown our first state qualifier/district champion of the year this evening, while almost everyone else is in semi final play.

Tuesday’s action
Two district top seeds fell last night, one in C1 and one in C2, with both being significant upsets based on MPR. The biggest upset of the whole tournament so far took place in C1 D6 in Springfield when #28 College Heights Christian eliminated #14 Greenwood 2-0. Greenwood was a +1.23 favorite in that one and had handled CHC 3-0 earlier in the year. College Heights sets its sights on 2-seed #7 Fair Grove in the finals Monday. Fair Grove held on to defeat New Covenant 1-0 in the other semi.

The second top seed to fall came in C2 D4 when #31 Duchesne shocked #14 Orchard Farm (+.93) 2-1. Neither team entered district play on a roll, but Coach Pat Turner has the Pioneers playing well in the postseason. Duchesne lost to Winfield 6-2 in the season finale, but rolled to a 6-1 opening round win when it counted before eliminating Orchard Farm. OF, winners of only three of their final nine games, had topped Duchesne 2-0 earlier in the season. The other semifinal saw Veritas squeak out another 1-0 win, this time over Lutheran St. Charles. The #6 Eagles, last year’s C1 champs, have won 12 in a row.

We thought there may be some parity in the opening round of C4 D4 in Wentzville and three 2-1 scores to open that tournament backed it up. #27 Timberland was the only lower seed to advance when it stunned #26 Hickman with a late goal, but #30 Troy needed OT to top #29 Liberty and #19 Ft. Zumwalt West had all it could handle in its win over #31 North Point. #16 Rock Bridge cruised to a 6-1 win over #48 Battle in the other game.

The backyard Blue Springs game lived up to expectations in C4D7, with 2 seed #14 Blue Springs getting an OT goal to eliminate #9 3-seed Blue Springs South 1-0, setting up a highly-anticipated final with #3 Rockhurst Thursday. The Hawklets steamrolled Fort Osage 9-1.

The C2 D5 semis in Mexico featured a differing tale of two top scorers - one who played and one who didn’t. Top seed and #16 Southern Boone played without top scorer Miles Butler, but a goal one minute in set the tone for the evening as the Eagles took out #27 MMA 4-0. The second game stayed scoreless until the final eight minutes when C2 newcomer (and only 2nd year in MSHSAA postseason) #36 Christian Fellowship (co-op with Hallsville) took a 1-0 lead that seemed to be safe as they had controlled most of the evening’s play, but #24 Moberly’s top scorer Gabe Runde answered with just over two minutes to play, sending it to OT. Runde broke loose again three minutes into OT for the game-winner, sending the Spartans into Thursday’s final against SBC.

What had to be the most fun game of the evening occurred in C4D4 at Northwest. The host #32 Lions and #43 Mehlville traded blows all evening before Northwest got a golden goal in the first OT to win 5-4. Mehlville entered with just five wins, while Northwest improves to 18-8. Top seeds Oakville, Jackson and Lindbergh also advanced.

A couple of upsets in C3 D5 in Jefferson City as both 5-seed #44 Lebanon and 6-seed #47 Jefferson City pulled off wins. Lebanon handled #26 Pleasant Hill 3-1, while JC got a PK in OT to send #34 Harrisonville home, 2-1. Top seeds #23 Camdenton and #24 Capital City rolled to 8-0 and 4-1 wins, respectively.

Wednesday Preview
As mentioned, our one championship game of the night highlights the evening ahead with 19 other games set to kick off, 11 involving district #1 seeds. A quick look of the top seeds in action - several rescheduled from last evening - shows C1 #1 Pembroke Hill and #2 Father Tolton should have no problem in their opening playoff matches, but C2 #1 John Burroughs (+1.63) has a tough one with #8 Principia, as does #2 Priory (+.59) against #5 MICDS. C4 #1 CBC (+1.59) and #20 De Smet will be closer than the numbers say, based on the history there. #5 Francis Howell Central (+1.34) and #25 Francis Howell provide the other rival game in that district.

In C2 D6 at Bolivar, #3 Helias and #26 Bolivar compete for a district championship and state qualifier bid and long rest period for the winner. Helias shook off the rust against Cassville in the semi before cruising to a 5-1 win, while the Liberators ride in on the wave of a dramatic 1-0 OT win over Monett Monday, Bolivar’s 10th extra time game this year. Helias (20-2) has rolled along all year and is the heavy MPR favorite (+.1.61), but this is where high school soccer playoffs can get interesting. Helias will have a second 2-hour trip to Bolivar this week and Bolivar will have a home field advantage with a smaller grass field and hometown supporters. Expect a great environment here - exactly what finals should be.

In C2 D1, #4 Cape Notre Dame (+.2.44) should cruise against #41 Fredericktown, but the other semi between #11 Perryville (+.36) and #18 Bayless has the makings of a tight game. Both teams rolled in first round play, but goals will be much tougher to score this time around.

While Pembroke Hill (+2.83) should have a quiet evening against #24 Lutheran KC, the other semi between #5 Barstow (+.32) and #12 Frontier School of Excellence expects to be much closer. Barstow’s strength of schedule advantage may be the key factor here as the Knights traditionally play one of the better C1 schedules in the state.

C4D5 semis in Springfield tonight pit four schools who know each other well and no real dominant team. #28 Glendale (+1.05) is the 1 seed and handled #52 Branson 2-0 earlier, while local rivals #15 Nixa (+1.16) and #45 Ozark play in the other. Nixa (21-3) has been rolling the latter part of the season (15-1), but lost to Glendale 3-2 a few weeks back. Coach Jeff Rogers always has Glendale primed at postseason. 

Look for a couple of 3 seeds to have advantages over 2-seeds tonight. C1 #13 Stover (+1.25) in C1 over #25 Smithton is one, while C2 #12 St. Mary’s (+1.44) over #38 Sullivan is the other.

Thursday will be chocked full of district finals (8) and semifinals (26) before we head to a quieter weekend of three championships Friday and eight Saturday (along with two semis (C3D3). We hope to have recaps and previews Thursday and over the weekend before we finish up district play next Tuesday. The Quarterfinals are set for 11-14 and the Final Four 11-20/21.