Soccer Game Preview: Payson vs. Blue Ridge

The Payson Longhorns will head out to square off against the Blue Ridge Yellow Jackets at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Payson will be strutting in after a win while Blue Ridge will be coming in after a defeat.

Payson hadn't beaten Madison Highland Prep on the road since October 13, 2022 but that history sure didn't bother them on Thursday. The Longhorns blew past the Heat 5-1. Payson might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matches by four goals or more this season.

Meanwhile, Blue Ridge faced Show Low in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets took a 3-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Cougars. The matchup was a 0-0 toss-up at halftime, but Blue Ridge couldn't quite close it out.

This is the second loss in a row for Blue Ridge and nudges their season record down to 8-5-1. As for Payson, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 7-5.

Payson came out on top in a nail-biter against Blue Ridge in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, sneaking past 4-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Longhorns since the squad won't have the home-pitch advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.