The regular season is fast approaching the finish line for spring sports, and that means teams are positioning themselves for playoff seeding. 

For boys soccer, the Region 5 race is tightly contested, with Bountiful tied for second at 4-2 in league play, just a game behind Box Elder. The Redhawks went 1-1 last week and opened this week with a 1-0 home win over Clearfield on Tuesday. Trent Millard scored a second-half goal to break a scoreless halftime tie. Sammy Serio got the assist. Meanwhile, a pair of goalies, Carter Watson and Nash McReynolds, split time in the net, each getting credit for half a shutout in the win. 

Last Friday, Bountiful outlasted Roy in an exciting contest. Playing on Roy’s home field, the Redhawks got up 2-1 at the break and matched Roy’s second-half goal with one of their own. 

Bountiful has a big game at Bonneville this Friday. The Redhawks and Lakers share second place right now. On April 16, Bountiful will travel to Viewmont. 

Woods Cross

At 3-3 overall and in region play, Woods Cross is hanging around in contention too. 

The Wildcats fell in a close 1-0 overtime loss at Viewmont last Friday but rebounded with an impressive 3-1 victory over Northridge on Tuesday. Spencer Keddington was the offensive star, scoring two of the team’s three goals. He got one of his goals off an assist from Brian Randall. Cohen Neilson scored the other goal for the Wildcats. 

On Friday, Woods Cross has a tough matchup at league-leading Box Elder. The Wildcats host Bonneville on April 16. 

Viewmont

The Vikings are tied with Woods Cross at 3-3 in region games, two games out of first place. Viewmont plays at Clearfield this Friday and then hosts rival Bountiful in a clash on April 16. 

Viewmont’s last two games have been nail-biters. Last Friday against Woods Cross, Nathan Low assisted on a goal by Jacob Ramos for the Vikings in their win. The goal came in overview, preventing the need for a shootout to decide things. 

However, a shootout was necessary this past Tuesday when Viewmont took on Roy. Playing at home Viewmont scored on Ramos’ first-half goal. Roy scored in the opening half two, though neither team found the back of the net in the second half or either of the two overtime periods. In the shootout, Viewmont prevailed making three shots to Roy’s one. 

Ramos is having a big year for Viewmont. The junior midfielder has tallied six goals so far to lead the team. Nathan Pitt has two goals, while Zach Andersen paces the Vikings with three assists. The defense has been solid, with goalie Brett Barbe recording a pair of shutouts with plenty of help from his teammates. 

As of April 10, Bountiful was ninth in the Class 5A RPI standings. Viewmont had a No. 14 ranking, and Woods Cross was 18th. The RPI rankings will determine seeding for the state tournament, which will start May 10. Higher-seeded teams will secure first-round byes and get second-round home games. Rounds one and two, along with the quarterfinals, will be at home sites, while the semifinals will be at Zions Bank Stadium, with the finals set for America First Field in Sandy on May 23.