Bethany-area boys soccer swept the OSAA 6A qualification round on Tuesday, Oct. 27, with Sunset, Mountainside and Westview all winning to advance to the state playoff bracket.
Mountainside posted the most emphatic result, beating Glencoe 4-2. Sunset shut out West Salem 2-0. Westview edged Roosevelt 2-1, according to Beaverton Valley Times qualification-round scores.
All three teams now move into the 24-team state bracket, where Round 1 kicks off Saturday, Oct. 31.
What the qualification round means
Under the 6A playoff format introduced this season, teams ranked No. 17 through No. 32 play a qualification-round match to earn one of the final eight spots in the state bracket, according to KATU. The qualification round counts as a regular-season contest.
That wrinkle drew attention earlier in October when Nelson's girls team could not play its qualification match after exceeding the 14-game regular-season limit.
Round 1 matchups
The OSAA bracket sets up three distinct tests for the area schools:
Westview (No. 17 seed) at Gresham (No. 16), 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. The Wildcats held a 7-6-2 overall record as of Oct. 28, according to MaxPreps. Gresham carried an 8-4-3 mark and home-field advantage at Gresham High, according to The Outlook.
Mountainside (No. 19) vs. Central Catholic (No. 14), noon Saturday, Oct. 31, at UofO-Portland/NE Sports Complex. The Mavericks stood at 7-4-4 overall as of Oct. 28, per MaxPreps. This is a neutral-site match. Central Catholic is the designated home team under OSAA rules because it holds the better seed.
Sunset (No. 22) vs. South Salem (No. 11), Saturday, Oct. 31. Kickoff time had not been posted to the OSAA bracket as of Wednesday. The Apollos showed a 6-7-2 overall record and a 1-3-1 league mark on MaxPreps. South Salem holds the higher seed and home designation.
Looking ahead
Winners on Oct. 31 advance to Round 2 on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Quarterfinals are set for Nov. 7, semifinals for Nov. 10 and the 6A championship game for Nov. 14 at Hillsboro Stadium.
