The goal for all West Virginia high school soccer teams is simple.
Play your final game of the season in Beckley at the YMCA Paul Cline Memorial Youth Sports Complex, the site of the boys and girls state soccer tournament.
That quest begins this week as sectional soccer play kickoffs with some solid state tournament contenders in Region 3.
Greenbrier East, Oak Hill, Princeton, and Woodrow Wilson will contend for the Class AAA Region 3, Section 2.
In Class AA-A, the Region 3, Section 1 battle will include Bluefield, James Monroe, Mingo Central, PikeView and Shady Spring.
Section 2 will be between Charleston Catholic, Independence, Nicholas County, Midland Trail, Pocahontas County, Roane County and Webster County on the boy’s side.
Charleston Catholic, Pocahontas County, Midland Trail and Nicholas County will battle for the girl’s championship.
Prior to the start of the season, the boy’s sectional battle in Class AAA Region 3, Section 2 was projected to be a wide-open race.
That fact was made even more clear with No. 4 Princeton’s late season home win over top-seed Greenbrier East Thursday.
The two schools will matchup again Tuesday in Fairlea, but this time it will be for keeps. The winner of that match will advance to meet the winner of No. 2 Oak Hill and No. 3 Woodrow Wilson.
The Red Devils and the Flying Eagles met just once in the regular season with Oak Hill garnering a 2-1 win at home. The sectional game will again be at Oak Hill, but this time Woodrow Wilson will have its leading striker on the field. Carson Eckley was not available in the first showdown.
Winning the sectional title will be equally as challenging for the girls. Woodrow Wilson is the top-seed, but it could be argued that Oak Hill may be the hottest team going into the postseason.
The Red Devils split the regular season matches with the Flying Eagles with both teams winning on its home field. After dropping a 1-0 decision in Beckley, Oak Hill topped Woodrow, 2-1 last Tuesday at home.
Although most of the focus will be on the top-2 seeds, No. 3 Greenbrier East and No. 4 Princeton are more than capable of pulling off the upset to advance to Thursday’s championship match.
The Spartans didn’t get the chance to defend its long run of sectional championship titles last year when they were shut down due to Covid issues.
Class AA-A Region 3, Section 1 will start Monday at James Monroe High School with a girls battle between the No. 5-seeded Mavericks and No. 4 PikeView.
The winner of that match will face top-seeded Shady Spring Wednesday at the YMCA Complex. If the Tigers can win their opening match, they will host the sectional championship Saturday against the winner of No. 2 Bluefield and No. 3 Mingo Central.
PikeView is the No. 1-seed on the boy’s side. The Panthers will host the winner of Tuesday’s match between No. 4 James Monroe and No. 5 Bluefield.
Shady Spring is the No. 2 seed and the Tigers will host Mingo Central Wednesday at the YMCA Complex. A win by the Tigers will put them in the championship match which is scheduled to be played on the field of the highest remaining seed.
The Charleston Catholic boys and girls have been the Region 3 teams to beat in recent memory. This year is no different with both Irish squads earning the top seed.
On the girl’s side, No. 4 Nicholas County will be the first team to battle Charleston Catholic, while No. 2 Pocahontas County and No. 3 Midland Trail will vie to meet the Irish in the championship tilt.
Round one for the ladies will be played Wednesday with the championship match played Saturday at Schoenbaum Field in Charleston.
The seven-team boys sectional starts Tuesday at the home site of the higher seeds. The Irish boys have a bye in round one.
No. 2 Nicholas County will host No. 7 Independence, while No. 3 Webster County will host No. 6 Midland Trail. The winners will meet Thursday for a berth in Saturday’s championship match.
No. 4 Pocahontas County will host No. 5 Roane County with the winner playing at Charleston Catholic Thursday.
The Class AA-A regional matches will be played Tuesday, Oct. 26 at Charleston Catholic, while the Class AAA regional matches will be played at George Washington, Oct. 28.
Region 3
Class AAA
Girls
Region 3, Section 2
Oct. 19
No. 4 Princeton at No. 1 Woodrow Wilson, 6:30
No. 3 Greenbrier East at No. 2 Oak Hill, 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 21
Sectional championship at highest seed, TBD
Boys
Region 3, Section 2
Oct. 19
No. 4 Princeton at No. 1 Greenbrier East, 6:30 p.m.
No. 3. Woodrow Wilson at No. 2 Oak Hill, 7:30 p.m
Oct. 21
Sectional Championship at highest seed, TBD
Class AA-A
Girls
Region 3, Section 1
Monday, Oct 18
at James Monroe High School
(1) No. 4 PikeView vs. No. 5 James Monroe, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 20
(2) No. 1 Shady Spring vs. Game 1 winner, at Paul Cline Youth Sports Complex, TBD
(3) No. 3 Mingo Central at No. 2 Bluefield, East River Soccer Complex, 6 p.m.
Championship
Saturday, Oct. 23
Sectional Championship
(4) Winner game 2 vs. Winner game 3, at highest seed, TBD
Region 3, Section 2
Wednesday, Oct. 20
No. 4 Nicholas County at No. 1 Charleston Catholic, 6 p.m.
No. 3 Midland Trail at No. 2 Pocahontas County, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 23
Sectional Championship at Schoenbaum Field, noon
Boys
Region 3, Section 1
Tuesday. Oct. 19
(1) No. 5 Bluefield at No. 4 James Monroe, TBD
Wednesday, Oct. 20
(2) Winner game 1 at No. 1 PikeView, 6 p.m.
(3) No. 3 Mingo Central vs. No. 2 Shady Spring, Paul Cline Youth Sports Complex, TBD
Saturday, Oct. 23
(4) Winner game 2 vs. Winner game 3, at highest seed, TBD
Region 3, Section 2
Tuesday, Oct. 19
(1) No. 7 Independence at No. 2 Nicholas County, 6 p.m.
(2) No. 6 Midland Trail at No. 3 Webster County, 8 p.m.
(3) No. 5 Roane County at No. No. 4 Pocahontas County, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 21
(4) Winner game 3 at No. 1 Charleston Catholic, 6 p.m.
(5) Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, at highest seed, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 23
Sectional Championship
(6) Winner Game 4 vs, Winner Game 5
