In are boys soccer last week, Cottage Grove ended Sky-Em with style, defeating Junction City 9-1 and North Bend 4-1 last week. The victories boosted their ranking in Sky-Em and the Lions sit comfortably in the No. 2 spot at 5-3. The second-place finish in Sky-Em will help their postseason seeding, especially since they are only No. 16 in Class 4A.
In Class 3A, Creswell took another Mountain Valley Conference title and went undefeated in league for the second consecutive year. The Bulldogs ended league play last week by defeating Crosshill Christian 3-2. Then, on Monday, they finished the regular season by winning 4-0 against No. 13 South Umpqua. This boosted the Bulldogs to a No. 6 overall ranking and improved their playoff seed.
Meanwhile, Pleasant Hill finished its season last week, losing to Sisters 2-1. At No. 45 and a seventh-place finish in the Mountain Valley Conference, the Billies won’t see the postseason.
In Class 5A, Springfield ended the Midwestern League 1-1 last week, defeating Thurston 2-0 on Thursday, and then lost to Crater 1-0 on Saturday. The Millers settled for a second-place spot in the Midwestern League this year at 4-1-1, just behind the No. 5 Ashland.
Thurston ended the Midwestern League with two losses; losing 2-0 to Springfield and Eagle Point. The Colts finished in last place in the Midwestern League with a winless record and another losing season at 3-9-2. With their rank and league finish, the Colts’ season comes to a close.
PREVIEWS
#16 COTTAGE GROVE (6-4)
Kicking off: After finishing third in the Sky-Em League this year, the Lions are in a precarious spot this postseason and will need to hustle to sustain qualification for the state playoffs. With a No. 16 ranking, they are right at the cutoff for the fourth at-large qualifier. They must ensure that they will hold onto this position and not fall in rankings. They will need strong results from non-league opponents St. Mary’s Medford and Gladstone this week. Class 4A rankings will freeze this Saturday
#6 CRESWELL (13-2)
Kicking off: After taking the SD3 title and soaring from No. 11 to a No. 6 ranking, the Bulldogs are in prime position for playoffs. Rankings will freeze on Tuesday night, but right now, they’ve earned a No. 6 seed for the state playoffs, which provides a home game and a bye to the second round. The Bulldogs will host the No. 11 seed on Nov. 5 and await their matchup announcement this Wednesday.
#13 SPRINGFIELD (7-4-2)
Kicking off: Springfield finished second in the Midwestern League this year, earning an automatic qualifier for the state playoffs. However, with a No. 13 ranking, they’ve earned a No. 13 seed. The No. 13 seed will travel for the first playoff round and go up against the No. 4 seed on Nov. 5. They will know their opponent once playoff games are released for Class 5A on Sunday.
