Champs are back, favored to repeat

By Jennifer Smith - jsmith3@herald-leader.com

Both the girls' and boys' defending state soccer champions are back in the state final four and considered heavy favorites to repeat.

Top-ranked Sacred Heart and top-ranked St. Xavier each have lost just one match this season and come into the state tournament at Georgetown's Toyota Stadium riding long winning streaks.

State soccer
At Georgetown's Toyota Stadium
Girls' semifinals
Wed.—Highlands vs. Woodford Co., 6 p.m.; Greenwood vs. Sacred Heart, 8
Boys' semifinals
Thurs.—St. Xavier vs. Boyle Co., 6; Henderson Co. vs. Highlands, 8
Championships
Sat.—Girls at 6 p.m., followed by boys at 8

Sacred Heart's Valkyries (19-1-3) have won 13 straight against in-state opponents and have allowed only 13 goals all season. Five of those goals came against a nationally ranked team from Maryland.

They will face Greenwood (19-3-2), which has won 10 straight and has scored a whopping 113 goals this season.

In the other semifinal, Highlands (17-3-4) will meet up with Woodford County (18-6). The Bluebirds, who won the state tournament in 2005 and 2006, topped the Jackets 1-0 and 3-2 in the regular season.

Woodford, which advanced to the state finals last season, has not lost since that 3-2 defeat and has an eight-game win streak.

The boys' semifinals Thursday night will pit St. X (20-1) against first-time semifinalist Boyle County (15-4-3).

The Tigers have won 14 straight and given up just eight goals all season while scoring 114. Their lone loss was to region rival Manual on Sept. 11.

Boyle County has won eight straight and is playing in its first state tournament. The unranked Rebels held off a tough charge from West Jessamine to get to Georgetown.

In the other semifinal, Henderson County (16-5-1) will meet up with Highlands (16-3-4).

Finals for both the boys and the girls are Saturday. The girls' match starts at 6 p.m., the boys at 8 p.m.