There are two rounds down and two more to go until the boys soccer state playoffs take the pitch at University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
Entering the regional semifinals Friday, reigning state champions Towson (Class 3A), Liberty (2A) and Pocomoke (Class 1A) are still alive.
Recommended Stories
Towson defeated Catonsville in the quarterfinals, 5-2, and on Friday will have to face Franklin, a team that Towson coach Randy Dase believes to be the toughest in the 3A North Region.
“We lost to them a month ago, 4-3,” Dase said. “The road is very bumpy for us. We have got to play everybody.”
Towson has a tough road, but the fiercest competition so far has been in the 3A East. Mount Hebron defeated River Hill and Annapolis and will play Severna Park, which is coming off a one-goal, double-overtime victory. In the other 3A East semifinal, Fallston will face Harford County rival Bel Air.
Fallston coach Christopher Hoover said that winning the 3A East is a real accomplishment.
“Everybody is playing so well and an upset can happen anytime,” he said.
Liberty could be one win away from a showdown with Century for the 2A West title. Elsewhere in the 2A, wins on Friday for Loch Raven and Eastern Tech in the North Region would allow a rematch of the Baltimore County?s championship game, which Eastern Tech won, 1-0.
Meanwhile, three Howard County representatives ? Atholton, Hammond and Oakland Mills ? have all advanced to the 2A South semifinals.
In 4A play, the East Region is laden with Anne Arundel County teams. Chesapeake, Broadneck and Arundel all made it through for another round, while in the North Region, C. Milton Wright, Parkville, Perry Hall and Thomas Johnson will duke it out for a state tournament bid.
Harford Tech, Marriotts Ridge and Sparrows Point all had solid wins Tuesday, and with Pikesville also in the mix, all will continue hope to advance to the regional finals in the 1A North and South.
