Reg. 2 boys soccer playoff picture looks clear — for now

If you’ve been following the Region 2 boys soccer playoff race from game-to-game, you know how crazy and insane it has been. The league, which only gets three playoff spots this year, boasted five undefeated teams near the end of the preseason, and over the course of seven rounds of Region 2 games, the league has featured twists and turns at every juncture.
With three league games remaining, however, it seems the race for those playoff spots is finally becoming clear. And while everything could change down the stretch, the Big 3 of Jordan, Alta and Brighton now occupy the top three positions in the region table and are favorites to make it to the 5A postseason.
Jordan and Brighton are tied for the league lead with 15 points apiece, Alta is in third with 12 points, Taylorsville and Skyline are tied for fourth with seven points and Hillcrest is in sixth with five points.
The Big 3 teams have been major players in Class 5A for some time, and while many wondered whether they would collectively have the resolve to hold off three very good teams in Taylorsville, Skyline and Hillcrest for the three postseason spots, they’ve done just that so far. It’s been nerve-racking for all three at various points in the regular season, but all three have come up with the goods when it was necessary.
With three games to go, Brighton and Jordan each need two more points to clinch playoff spots (or have Taylorsville AND Skyline each drop two more points), which would be a major accomplish in itself. Alta, on the other hand, has more work left than its two rivals, though there’s no question the Hawks are now a big favorite to claim the other playoff place.
Taylorsville and Skyline are still alive but must pick up as many points as possible down the stretch and realistically hope that Alta stumbles, while Hillcrest, which has enjoyed an outstanding season, must win out and hope for lots of help.