Palm Beach County boys soccer: Playoff districts, favorites, dark horse teams
It’s been an eventful year for high school soccer in Palm Beach County, and the postseason is finally here.
District tournaments around the state this week, with opening-round matches set to take place on Tuesday and championships wrapping up on Friday.
These knockout tournaments begin the long journey to the FHSAA state championships in Lakeland.
District champions will clinch one of four automatic bids in eight-team regions while the remaining four at-large bids are given to teams based on their finish in the final FHSAA state rankings via MaxPreps.
Here's a district-by-district breakdown of Palm Beach County's best boys soccer programs:
District 10-7A
Host: Centennial
Favorite: Jupiter
What to know: A talented backline, which the Warriors have only recently fielded together, has been nothing short of dominant, allowing just nine goals in 13 games. Jupiter is having the best season in recent memory and it comes against a tough schedule. The team is in form at the right time, which does not bode well for competition this time of the year.
Dark horse: Central
What to know: If it comes down between Central and Centennial for an expected challenger, strength of schedule and performance against common opponents lends an edge to the former. The Cobras had a late-season five-game win streak and will enter the postseason scoring over three goals per game.
More teams:
Centennial (5-1-6)
Treasure Coast (2-7-3)
Palm Beach Gardens (7-10-1)
Vero Beach (4-7-6)
District 11-7A
Host: Royal Palm Beach
Favorite: Royal Palm Beach
What to know: One of the most difficult districts to predict in the county, Royal Palm gets a slight edge here. The Wildcats defense allows just under one goal per contest behind a disciplined defense and Danny Rodriguez is always a threat to score.
Dark horse: Palm Beach Central
What to know: Incredibly difficult to choose between Central, Leonard, and Forest Hill, the Broncos get the edge by virtue of their undefeated record. The Broncos also allow less then one goal per game – and like Royal Palm, they are also undefeated in district play.
More teams:
Forest Hill (12-6-2)
John I. Leonard (10-2-3)
Wellington (5-8-2)
District 12-7A
Host: Boca Raton
Favorite: Boca Raton
What to know: Any other team in this district is a distant second. The Bobcats have absolutely dominated competition this year, ranked as one of the premier teams in not just the county, but the state. Boca are ranked No. 17 in the state and No. 5 in their class. Led by Christian Gonzalez with 10 goals, Boca's defense is nigh impenetrable.
Dark horse: Olympic Heights
What to know: The Lions have a fairly strong strength of schedule. Having tied Palm Beach Central, defeated Park Vista, and lost in a tight game against AMerican Heritage-Delray, Heights project as the second-best team in this district.
More teams:
Spanish River (5-8-2)
Lake Worth (5-7-5)
Park Vista (7-10-1)
Santaluces (6-8-1)
District 8-6A
Host: Dwyer
Favorite: Dwyer
What to know: The No. 88 ranked team in the state is our favorite to win this district. With a history of recent success, the Panthers' goal differential isn't the best in the district, but pair with the strength of schedule and projected talent, Dwyer is the team to beat. Senior Oliver Robbins is the top weapon with eight goals tallied.
Dark horse: Martin County
What to know: Martin County doesn't allow many goals, but eight of those came in 10 out of 19 goals allowed during the season came in the final four games of the season. If they fix those defense concerns, this is a team that can vie for a strong district finish.
More teams:
West Boca Raton (5-7-4)
South Fork (8-6-8)
Atlantic (1-14-1)
Seminole Ridge (6-6-3)
District 14-5A
Host: American Heritage-Plantation
Favorite: American Heritage (Plantation)
What to know: Boasting a 9-1-4 record, the Patriots have allowed just 10 goals in 14 games, while scoring a total of 41 goals, most in the district. A dominant defense and efficient offense has Heritage-Plantation as the team to beat.
Dark horse: Northeast
What to know: The Hurricanes are trending in the wrong direction heading into the playoffs against some tough competition, ending the season 0-3-2 in the final five matches. Yet, if Northeast can rediscover their early-season form under the spotlight this week, this could be a team to be wary of.
More teams:
Coconut Creek (8-5-2)
Dr. Joaquin Garcia (5-12-2)
Suncoast (8-4-3)
Hollywood Hill (1-16-1)
District 13-4A
Host: North Broward Prep
Favorite: Somerset Canyons
What to know: Somerset Canyons has not yet lost this season. Having allowed less than one goal per game played, the Cougars defense is strong -- and so is their offense, having averaged nearly four goals per contest. 22 goals have been scored between the senior duo of Gianfranco Ona and Ron Elijah-Pierre for the No. 33 ranked team in the state.
Dark horse: North Broward Prep
What to know: There doesn't appear to be much separation between North Broward and Somerset Canyons, as evidenced by the Patriots' No. 26 ranked spot in the state of Florida, just a few spots ahead of the Cougars. Should these teams meet in district, it would be strength against strength. Neither defense is allowing more than one goal per game.
More teams:
American Heritage-Delray (6-5)
Jensen Beach (5-5-1)
Glades Central (3-7)
Dreyfoos School of the Arts (1-16-0)
Clewiston (0-10-1)
District 11-3A
Host: Benjamin
Favorite: Benjamin
What to know: The Buccaneers had a couple of tight affairs leading into the postseason, but they’re finally getting healthy – and that does not bode well for the opposition. The last time this team was fully healthy, they shutout NSU in a 3-0 win. Led by Ford Cash, the Bucs are primed for a deep run if the pieces come together.
Dark horse: King’s Academy
What to know: Having scored twice as many goals as they’ve allowed, King’s Academy ended the regular season on a seven-game unbeaten streak, including some tough matches against Berean Christian and Royal Palm beach. This is not a team to sleep on.
More teams:
Oxbridge Academy (8-5-2)
Cardinal Newman (8-8-1)
Lincoln Park Academy (5-9-4)
Somerset College Prep (5-7-0)
Inlet Grove (0-4-0)
District 12-3A
Host: St. John Paull II
Favorite: St. John Paull II
What to know: The Eagles do not boast the best record in the district, but based on strength of schedule, St. John Paull profiles as the team to beat. A tight 3-2 victory over Saint Andrew’s gives some momentum heading into the playoffs after allowing just 16 goals in 12 games played.
Dark horse: FAU High
What to know: The only team to end the regular season on a multiple-game winning streak, FAU High only leaves us with a question mark on strength of schedule. We project them just ahead of Katz Yeshiva because an 11-game unbeaten streak entering the postseason is nothing to scoff at. The first round of districts should be telling.
More teams:
Katz Yeshiva (6-3-3)
Sports Leadership and Management (6-11-1)
Saint Andrew's (5-7-1)
Inlet Grove (0-4-0)
Pahokee (1-4-2)
District 8-2A
Host: Jupiter Christian
Favorite: Pineapple Cove Classical Academy
What to know: The Patriots’ 12-4 record speaks for itself, as does the 62-goal season. Pineapple Cove defeated Jupiter Christian, the projected runner-up by a 3-2 score-line, which qualifies them as our bid for favorites in the district.
Dark horse: Jupiter Christian
What to know: They lost by just one goal to district-favorite Pineapple Cove, making this a close district to predict. This is a stout defense, one that has allowed just 15 goals in 12 games played. They don’t have prolific scoring, but they do enough to win most games. Of note is the fact they have a 6-1 record at home, but only one road win in five matches.
More teams:
St. Edward’s (5-7-1)
Merritt Island Christian (5-5-1)
John Carroll Catholic (4-7-3)
Master’s Academy (4-11-0)
Pine (3-8-2)
District 13-2A
Host: Berean Christian
Favorite: Berean Christian
What to know: The Bulldogs haven’t played many teams within their district during regular season play, so it will be interesting to see how they match up. What we do know is that Berean is undefeated at home this season, and their goal differential is impressive.
Dark horse: Trinity Christian Academy
What to know: As the only other team with a winning record in the district, there is but one choice for our runner-up projection. The Warriors have allowed just 16 goals in 13 games played and are entering the postseason on the back of a four-game winning streak.
More teams:
Glades Day (5-3-3)
Atlantic Christian (2-15-0)
Lake Worth Christian (2-12-1)
District 14-2A
Host: Highlands Christian
Favorite: Highlands Christian
What to know: The favorite of their district, Highlands Christian has allowed just one goal per game played, while scoring double that mark. Perhaps the biggest factor in favor of the Knights is the fact that this squad is undefeated when playing at home against district competition.
Dark horse: Somerset Prep
What to know: The clear runner-up tied district-favorite Highlands Christian, the only district team to even notch a point against the Knights. Though their goal differential isn’t as good and they don’t have the same consistency, this is still a team to watch.
More teams:
South Florida HEAT (7-7-2)
Boca Raton Christian (4-9-1)
Donna Klein Jewish Academy (0-6-0)
Westminster Academy (2-13-0)
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County soccer: Playoff districts, favorites, dark horse teams
