While the Centennial League rightfully can boast about the overall strength of its league, there is no doubt which team is the favorite as the Class 5A girls soccer state tournament begins May 5.
The Centennial has three teams among the top eight seeds (Cherry Creek, Arapahoe, Grandview), but Chatfield (14-0-1) earned the top spot, and for good reason. The Chargers, which feature seven players who have signed to play collegiately, have beaten three of the field’s top eight seeds, including No. 2 Cherry Creek, seventh-seeded and defending champion Grandview and No. 8 Denver East. The only blemish on the record is a 1-1 tie with sixth-seeded Pine Creek.
Led by All-Colorado goaltender Alyssa Gillmore, the Chargers, champions of the Jefferson County League, have allowed only five goals while posting 10 shutouts. They open against Westminster.
Of note in the 5A bracket: Fairview is seeded fourth after winning the Front Range League title in its first season in the league. According to the Boulder Daily Camera, it is the first league championship for the Knights in the program’s 29-year history . . . Grand Junction Central is the champion of the Southwestern League but might be without goalie Savannah Moore for its first-round game against Green Mountain. Moore received a red card in the Warriors’ regular-season finale against Montrose.
The complete schedule for all tournament games can be found in the Scoreboard section below at MaxPreps.
Class 5A No. 3 seed Arapahoe
Photo By Patrick Miller
CLASS 5A
In bracket order
First round, May 5
[No. 32 seed] Westminster at [1] Chatfield
[17] Green Mountain at [16] Grand Junction Central
[25] Columbine at [8] Denver East
[24] Monarch at [9] Ponderosa
[29] ThunderRidge at [4] Fairview
[20] Fort Collins at [13] Mountain Vista
[28] Rampart at [5] Heritage
[21] Highlands Ranch at [12] Rocky Mountain
First round, May 6
[31] George Washington at [2] Cherry Creek
[18] Legacy at [15] Ralston Valley
[26] Palmer at [7] Grandview
[23] Smoky Hill at [10] Air Academy
[30] Brighton at [3] Arapahoe
[19] Doherty at [14] Dakota Ridge
[27] Durango at [6] Pine Creek
[22] Regis Jesuit at [11] Poudre
All second-round games are May 8
As in Class 5A, the Jefferson County League earned the top spot in the Class 4A playoffs with Wheat Ridge assuming the role as favorite. Overall, 4A Jeffco nabbed three of the top eight seeds, with D’Evelyn earning the seventh seed and Golden rounding it out at No. 8.
The Farmers simply have dominated the competition, scoring 96 goals in 14 games while allowing only a single goal all season. That came April 8 in a 2-1 win against D’Evelyn. Wheat Ridge (14-0-0) opens against a Palisade team making its first playoff appearance in 11 years.
Silver Creek is the defending champion and is seeded 10th. Of note, Valor Christian (14-0-0) was awarded the sixth seed in its first season of varsity action. The Eagles have five players who have scored 10 or more goals, paced by 15 by Brianna Pugh. They play host to Woodland Park in the first round.
CLASS 4A
In bracket order
First round, May 5
[No. 32 seed] Palisade at [1] Wheat Ridge
[17] Evergreen at [16] Glenwood Springs
[25] Battle Mountain at [8] Golden
[24] Montrose at [9] Pueblo South
[29] Pueblo County at [4] Cheyenne Mountain
[20] Prairie View at [13] Greeley West
[28] Thomas Jefferson at [5] Niwot
[21] Centaurus at [12] Pueblo Centennial
First round, May 6
[31] Skyview at [2] Broomfield
[18] Pueblo West at [15] Castle View
[26] Skyline at [7] D’Evelyn
[23] Mitchell at [10] Silver Creek
[30] Kennedy at [3] Lewis-Palmer
[19] Canon City at [14] Fossil Ridge
[27] Woodland Park at [6] Valor Christian
[22] Thompson Valley at [11] Steamboat Springs
All second-round games are May 9
Rounding out the classifications, St. Mary’s of Colorado Springs garnered the top seed, just ahead of Alexander Dawson, The Classical Academy and St. Mary’s Academy.
St. Mary’s, which lost in the state championship game 2-1 to Faith Christian, is paced by a pair of 20-goal scorers in Christina Whitelaw (29 goals, 19 assists) and Becca Morales (22 goals).
Faith Christian will begin defense of its title as the No. 5 seed. Of note, Bayfield, the 26th seed, qualified for the state playoffs for the first time, as did Discovery Canyon, which is in its first year of varsity plan.
CLASS 3A
In bracket order
First round, May 5
[No. 32 seed] Pikes Peak Christian at [1] St. Mary’s
[17] Evangelical Christian at [16] Ridgway
[25] Frontier Academy at [8] Colorado Academy
[24] Aspen at [9] Middle Park
[29] Bennett at [4] St. Mary’s Academy
[20] Jefferson Academy at [13] Peak to Peak
[28] Fountain Valley at [5] Faith Christian
[21] Resurrection Christian at [12] Discovery Canyon
First round, May 6
[31] Valley at [2] Alexander Dawson
[18] The Academy at [15] Sterling
[26] Bayfield at [7] Coal Ridge
[23] Vail Mountain at [10] Denver Christian
[30] Weld Central at [3] The Classical Academy
[19] Colorado Springs Christian at [14] Front Range Christian
[27] Telluride at [6] Manitou Springs
[22] Estes Park at [11] Basalt
All second-round games are May 9
