The UIL soccer playoffs are down to the final 16 teams in each region and classification. Here are some key storylines to follow as area teams look to move another step closer toward trying to win a state championship:

Out for redemption
Southwest (24-0) is in the midst of one of the longest winning streaks in U.S. high school soccer history. The Dragons have won 45 straight games, the 11th-longest mark all-time nationally, according to National Federation of State High School Associations.

If Southwest is to continue its winning ways, though, it will have to knock off the team that handed it its last loss — Pharr Valley View.

Valley View defeated the Dragons 7-1 in the Region IV-5A semifinals on April 12, 2019, in Corpus Christi. Valley View led 4-0 at halftime, then after Southwest pulled within 4-1, tacked on three more scores. The teams square off at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Valley View.

The Tigers (18-1) have won 17 in a row since losing to Brownsville Veterans Memorial on Jan. 12. They avenged the loss with a 2-1 triumph vs. Brownsville Veterans Memorial in the third round on Friday.

Deja vu for Volunteers
LEE has made no secret that it has a state-title-or-bust mindset. The mentality has fueled the Volunteers to the Region IV-6A semifinals for the third straight season and a step closer to another trip to the state tournament.

If this year’s journey seems a little bit familiar to the one in 2019, when LEE advanced to the state final before losing a heartbreaker in penalty kicks, it’s because in some part it is.

The Volunteers (24-1) face Laredo Alexander at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Cabaniss Complex in Corpus Christi. Two years ago in Brownsville, the teams met in the same round. LEE prevailed 4-2, building a 4-0 advantage before Alexander scored twice in the final two minutes to make the final score more respectable.

Venturing into new ground
Whether it’s with a stirring comeback or highlight-reel goals, the Harlan boys have displayed a flair for the dramatic during the postseason. The Brennan girls have been downright stingy, producing three straight shutouts.

The different approaches, though, haven’t kept the Northside ISD teams from each advancing to the Region IV-6A semifinals for the first time.

Harlan (23-2) takes on Austin Lake Travis (22-0-4) at 7 p.m. Tuesday at New Braunfels Canyon High School. The Hawks blanked Laredo United 2-0 in the third round, a relatively stress-free occasion compared to their first two playoff games. In the opening round, Harlan rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the final 19 minutes for a 3-2 triumph as Cameron Burleson, Oscar Valencia and Avery Richards each scored a goal apiece.

In the second round, Harlan snapped a 1-1 tie behind two long-range goals off free kicks from Oscar Valencia. The second of the goals, a 40-yard strike, earned Valencia the No. 3 spot on ESPN’s Sports Center top 10 plays.

Brennan (18-3-2), on the other hand, has been methodical during its playoff march. The Bears have outscored their first three opponents — Laredo United (4-0), Harlingen (4-0) and Edinburg Vela (2-0) — 10-0 en route to their deepest playoff trek. Brennan advanced to the third round in 2014 while competing in Class 5A before falling to Dripping Springs 2-1.

Overall, the Bears have recorded shutouts in each of their last six games and have yielded only 19 goals this season in 23 games (0.83 goals-against average).

Austin Vandegrift (17-3-2) should provide Brennan its toughest challenge to date when the teams tangle at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Smithson Valley. The Vipers, coached by former Johnson standout Sharis Lachappelle, topped Reagan 6-1 in the second round. Vandegrift advanced to the regional semifinals in Lachappelle’s first season in 2019, falling to Allen 1-0. The team appeared poised for another deep run a year ago before the UIL canceled the season with a week left in the regular season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Twice as nice for Greyhounds
For the second time in their history and the first since 2002, the Boerne boys and girls soccer teams each advanced to the Region IV-4A semifinals in the same season.

The boys, in this round for the first time since winning a state title in 2006, play Corpus Christi London at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Southwest Legacy High School. The girls, in the regional semifinals for the fifth time since 2015, meet Corpus Christi Calallen at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Floresville.

Both squads come into their fourth-round matchups on hot streaks. The boys, coached by former Alamo Heights and Kentucky standout Michael Strong — he led Alamo Heights to the 2003 state final, was named to the UIL’s All-Century team and is the Mules’ career leader in goals — are unbeaten in their last 18 games (17-0-1). The team’s lone loss was a 3-1 setback vs. LEE on Jan. 7.

The girls, led by coach Jeremy Shannon, are 17-1-1 in their last 19 encounters after a 1-5-2 start that included losses to Cedar Park and Dripping Springs, both of which are still in the playoffs. Shannon is the team’s fifth coach in as many years, but the revolving door hasn’t kept the team from attaining success. The Greyhounds were state finalists in 2017, state semifinalists in 2015 and regional finalists in 2016 and 2018. They lost in the third round to the eventual regional champion in 2019

terrence@terrencesports.com
Twitter: @sa_terrence1