It's all-to-play-for time in Southwest Ohio high school soccer. The district tournaments begin this week, with teams all over Cincinnati starting a journey they hope ends in the state finals in Columbus Nov. 13-16.
Here is a look at each district tournament. The brackets can be accessed on the Southwest District web site.
Boys Division I
Seeds: 1. Sycamore, 2. Elder, 3. St. Xavier, 4. Beavercreek, 5. Centerville, 6. Moeller, 7. Mason
District semifinals: West Clermont vs. Elder/Western Hills winner, Moeller vs. Princeton, Centerville vs. Middletown, Lakota East vs. Walnut Hills, Beavercreek vs. Oak Hills, Little Miami vs. Fairmont, Mason vs. Colerain, Milford vs. Fairfield, St. Xavier
vs. Wayne, Lebanon vs. Hamilton, Sycamore vs. Springfield, Springboro vs. Lakota West. The full bracket is here.
What to watch: The Division I district tournament may be deeper and more competitive than any previous ones in recent memory. Elder, Moeller and Sycamore are slotted to play in Region 4 with the winners of two Columbus-area districts, including defending state champion Dublin Jerome (14-2-1). Elder had a win and a draw against Moeller en route to the Greater Catholic League-South title. Sycamore (13-4) had an outstanding campaign, sharing the Greater Miami Conference with Mason (10-5-1) and could face a tough match in the district final with league foe Lakota West or Springboro.
The rest of Cincinnati plays each other in Region 2. Mason had an up-and-down season outside the GMC schedule, including a 3-1 loss Aug. 18 to Milford (9-6-1) which was a contender in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference until the final week. Mason beat Sycamore last week to earn a share of the GMC title. Fairfield (9-4-4) was a contender in the GMC for a while and beat Mason and Milford during the season.
St. Xavier (11-4-2) was second in the GCL-South. Beavercreek (11-4-2) won the Greater Western Ohio Conference. Little Miami (9-5-3) was second in the ECC and could challenge the Beavers. Centerville (8-3-5) finished second to Beavercreek in the GWOC. Lakota East (9-3-5) finished third in the GMC and beat Walnut Hills 2-0 this season.
Region 2 semifinal predictions: Centerville vs. Beavercreek, Mason vs. St. Xavier
Region 4 semifinal predictions: Elder vs. Sycamore, Dublin Jerome vs. Lewis Center Olentangy
Boys Division II
Seeds: 1. Kings, 2. Troy, 3. Northmont, 4. Harrison, 5. Loveland.
District semifinals: Kings vs. Fairborn/Winton Woods, Northmont vs. Xenia, Troy vs. Miamisburg, Harrison vs. Loveland
What to watch: Kings, the reigning state runner-up, struggled on offense this season but conceded only 15 goals and had a 6-2-8 record. Harrison (7-5-3) and Loveland (7-7-2) have been capable. Troy (11-2-4) has outscored teams 90-22 and has two seniors with 15 or more goals. The Trojans played one Cincinnati team, drawing Badin 1-1. Northmont (9-5-2) was fifth in the GWOC. The district champs here will battle two teams from the Northwest District for the regional title.
Regional semifinal predictions: Kings vs. Troy, Toledo De Sales vs. Sylvania Northview
Boys Division III
Seeds: 1. Turpin, 2. Badin, 3. Anderson, 4. Indian Hill, 5. Monroe
District quarterfinals: Woodward vs. Turpin/Goshen, Batavia vs. Northwest, Badin vs. Edgewood, La Salle vs. Western Brown, Indian Hill vs. Mt. Healthy, Talawanda vs. Wilmington, Anderson vs. McNicholas, Monroe vs. Ross.
What to watch: This is a large bracket with 16 Cincinnati schools and 20 northern teams who are seeded separately.
Turpin (13-0-4) has had an outstanding season, winning the ECC title. Senior Sam Harding led the league with 22 goals. Anderson (6-7-3) won only one of its last 10 games. Indian Hill (8-4-5) tied for third in a tight race in the deeply competitive Cincinnati Hills League (4-1-2). Monroe finished second in the Southwestern Buckeye-Southwestern to Bellbrook (13-1-1) who is the No. 2 seed in the North brackets. Badin tied for second in the Greater Catholic League-Coed (3-2) with McNicholas, who is the six seed. GCL-Coed champ Carroll (16-0-1) is the No. 1 seed in the North bracket.
The bracket has several intriguing neighborhood rivalries. Anderson beat McNicholas 2-0 in the season opener. Monroe beat Ross twice in league play, 4-0 and 1-0.
Talawanda (12-4-1) and Wilmington (15-1) are the seven and eight seeds, and have two of the area’s highest-scoring seniors. Wilmington senior Ben Angelica is Southwest Ohio’s leading scorer with 50 goals. Senior Noel Albarran has 22 of Talawanda’s 66 goals.
Regional semifinal predictions: Turpin vs. Badin, Carroll vs. Monroe
Boys Division IV
Seeds: 1. Summit Country Day, 2. Wyoming, 3. Madeira, 4. Mariemont, 5. CHCA
District quarterfinals: Clermont Northeastern vs. Madeira/Clark winner, Norwood vs. Taylor, Summit Country Day vs. Clinton-Massie, New Richmond vs. Cincinnati Christian, Mariemont vs. Bethel-Tate, CHCA vs. Purcell Marian, Wyoming vs. Reading, Roger Bacon vs. DePaul Cristo Rey.
What to watch: Summit (14-1-2), the Division V state champion in 2025, has won 12 consecutive games and seems to be on an unstoppable course to a title in its new class. The Silver Knights have routed multiple teams in this bracket, including league foe CHCA, 5-0. Five of Summit’s last seven wins were against strong Division I teams. Summit has outscored foes 62-8, led by Austin Fry with 23 goals and Harlan Smith with 13.
Madeira (11-2-3) and Wyoming (11-4-2) tied for the CHL title, with Mariemont (9-3-3) a half-game behind. Wyoming was the only team in this group that played Summit, losing 4-1 early in the season.
Perennial power Oakwood is the No. 1 seed in the North, followed by Miami East and Alter.
Regional semifinal predictions: Madeira vs. Wyoming, Summit vs. Oakwood.
Boys Division V
Seeds: 1. Seven Hills, 2. Georgetown, 3. Finneytown, 4. Fenwick, 5. Williamsburg
District quarterfinals: Finneytown vs. Lockland, Williamsburg vs. Spencer, Georgetown vs. Blanchester, Fenwick vs. St. Bernard-Elmwood Place, Deer Park vs. Cincinnati Country Day, Seven Hills vs. Feliicity-Franklin/Miami Valley Christian Academy winner.
What to watch: Seven Hills (12-3-2) has only lost to bigger schools including league rival Summit Country Day. Abel Bracken led the Stingers with 14 goals and the defense only allowed 14, led by junior Grey Meyer with 12 shutouts in goal. Georgetown (12-3-1) won the Southern Buckeye-National. Finneytown (8-6-3) had a solid season outside the highly competitive CHL, where the Wildcats were 2-4-1. Williamsburg (8-8-1) finished second to Georgetown in league play and lost 3-0 to Seven Hills in the season opener.
Xenia Legacy Christian and Troy Christian are the top seeds in the North bracket.
Regional semifinal predictions: Williamsburg vs. Seven Hills, Troy Christian vs. Grandview Heights.
Girls Division I
Seeds: 1. Seton, 2. Mason, 3. Sycamore, 4. Lakota West, 5. Centerville, 6. Oak Hills
District semifinals: Lakota West vs. West Clermont, Oak Hills vs. Fairmont, Springboro vs. Northmont, Centerville vs. Princeton, Milford vs. Walnut Hills, Seton vs. Springfield, Sycamore vs. Middletown, Lebanon vs. Little Miami, Mason vs. Hamilton (winner plays Fairfield)
What to watch: Seton, 17-0 and rarely challenged this year, is nationally ranked and is the overwhelming favorite to win Region 2. Mason and Sycamore, both 12-3-2 overall, tied for the Greater Miami Conference title and chose the Columbus bracket away from the Saints. They could face off in a regional semifinal. Sycamore could get challenged in the district final by Eastern Cincinnati foes Lebanon and Little Miami, who beat Sycamore 2-1 in the season opener.
Milford and Walnut Hills topped the ECC in a tight race and had a scoreless draw with each other. Centerville (10-5-1) won the Greater Western Ohio Conference but had a mixed record with Cincinnati schools. Springboro (9-2-6) is always dangerous and beat Oak Hills 3-2 this season. Oak Hills has one of the city’s top scorers in Taylor Spille (23 goals). Lakota West (11-5-1) has been under the radar all season and beat Beavercreek 5-2 Sept. 14.
Region 2 semifinal predictions: Seton vs. Lakota West, Oak Hills vs. Walnut Hills.
Region 3 semifinal predictions: Dublin Coffman vs. Olentangy Liberty, Mason vs. Sycamore.
Girls Division II
Seeds: 1. Harrison, 2. Mount Notre Dame, 3. St. Ursula, 4. Anderson, 5. Troy
District semifinals: Anderson vs. Colerain, Troy vs. Kings, SUA vs. Stebbins, Loveland vs. Miamisburg, Harrison vs. Edgewood, Fairborn vs. Ursuline, MND vs. Winton Woods, Turpin vs. Piqua.
What to watch: Harrison (13-2-2), which is not in a league, has prepped well for the postseason with a difficult schedule including several other teams in this bracket. The Wildcats have a deep and balanced offense and have only allowed 13 goals. MND and SUA have had tough slates as well and occasionally stumbled. They both went 0-2 against Seton and 1-1 against each other. Both teams had signature wins late in the season. SUA made the regional semifinals last year. Anderson (10-7) lost four in a row late in the season, including to MND, but won four of its last five and tied for second in the ECC. Troy, 11-6, lost 6-0 to MND in the season opener and has not played any other Cincinnati teams.
Regional semifinal predictions: Anderson vs. MND, Harrison vs. SUA.
Girls Division III
Seeds: 1. Ross, 2. Indian Hill, 3. Summit Country Day, 4. Badin, 5. Batavia
District quarterfinals: Summit vs. Wilmington, Western Brown vs. Monroe, Ross vs. Northwest, Purcell Marian vs. Talawanda, Indian Hill vs. Goshen, Mercy McAuley vs. McNicholas, Batavia vs. Roger Bacon, Badin vs. New Richmond.
What to watch: This has the makings of a heavyweight bracket. Summit (10-5-1), which has won a state title each of the last three years, lost its last three games of the season but to St. Ursula and two of the top DI seeds, Seton and Sycamore. Summit also lost to Ross 4-0 Sept. 24. Ross is a perfect 16-0 behind Southwestern Buckeye League Player of the Year Ava Bush and the Rams made the regional semis last year.
Badin (8-7-2), last year’s state runner-up in DIII, took heavy graduation losses and started this season 1-5, but has only lost to Seton and Mariemont since. Indian Hill (12-0-4) tied Mariemont for the Cincinnati Hills League title and drew 2-2 with Summit Sept. 28.
Batavia (11-5-1) has been competitive in losses to Ross and Indian Hill. The Bulldogs won the Southern Buckeye-American with two wins over Western Brown (15-2). The Broncos boast senior Kendall Hanlon, who has 35 goals this year and 120 for her career. Western Brown could play Summit in the second round.
Butler (13-3-1) and Tippecanoe (14-2-2) are the top seeds in the North brackets. They played to a 4-4 draw Oct. 14 and Tippecanoe lost 3-0 to Indian Hill.
Regional semifinal predictions: Summit vs. Indian Hill, Ross vs. Badin
Girls Division IV
Seeds: 1. Mariemont, 2. Madeira, 3. Taylor, 4. CHCA, 5. Fenwick
District quarterfinals: Madeira vs. Williamsburg, CHCA, vs. Wyoming, Mariemont vs. Cincinnati Christian, Reading vs. Clinton-Massie, Fenwick vs. Cincinnati Country Day, Taylor vs. Norwood.
What to watch: Mariemont (13-1-2) tied Indian Hill for the CHL title. Taylor (11-3-3) and Madeira (8-4-5) were right behind. Mariemont beat Madeira 1-0 and tied Taylor 2-2, while Madeira and Taylor tied 1-1. Mariemont’s only defeat was to Ross in the season opener and Taylor also fell to the Rams. Madeira, the DV state champ last year, has had a tough non-league schedule. CHCA (11-4-1) has had a strong season, losing 6-0 to Mariemont and 1-0 to Fenwick, but beating Taylor 1-0. Fenwick, 11-5-1, finished third to Alter and Badin in the Greater Catholic League-Coed
Alter (12-3-2) and Benjamin Logan (12-2-1) are the top two seeds in the North brackets. Alter won the GCL-Coed.
Regional semifinal predictions: Madeira vs. Alter, Mariemont vs. Taylor.
Girls Division V
Seeds: 1. Bethel-Tate, 2. Blanchester, 3. Seven Hills, 4. MVCA, 5. Georgetown.
District semifinals: Blanchester vs. Deer Park, Seven Hills vs. Finnetywon, Bethel vs. St. Bernard-Elmwood Place, MVCA vs. Georgetown.
What to watch: Bethel, 12-3-2, won the Southern Buckeye-National. The Tigers had a win and a draw against Blanchester (11-3-2), drew 0-0 with Seven Hills and lost 2-0 to Madeira. Seven Hills (7-5-4) went 0-4 against its bigger league foes in the Miami Valley-Scarlet, including Summit, but drew with Bethel-Tate, 0-0.
Legacy Christian, Greeneview and Miami East are the top three seeds in the North and have had dominant seasons.
Regional semifinal predictions: Greeneview vs. Gahanna Columbus Academy, Legacy Christian vs. Miami East.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Outlook and analysis for Southwest Ohio district soccer tournaments
