Soccer predictions: Here are the Wichita-area’s league-title favorites for this season
The City League has been under Bishop Carroll’s control for the past four years, but there is reason to believe 2019 is time for a change.
Here are the Wichita area’s boys soccer league title predictions, as part of the Eagle’s fall sports preview:
City League
Wichita Heights
Bishop Carroll
Wichita East
Kapaun Mt. Carmel
Wichita North
Wichita Northwest
Wichita South
Wichita Southeast
Wichita West
The 2019 City League race might go down as the most memorable in the past half decade. For the past four years, Bishop Carroll has owned the GWAL crown, but the Golden Eagles have more to replace this year than about any on their run. Carroll will still be a strong contender, but teams USD 259 teams like Heights, East and North all have their aim at the top spot while Kapaun works to rebuild after graduating a large senior class.
AVCTL I
Derby
Campus/Clearwater
Maize
Salina Central
Newton
Hutchinson
Salina South
AVCTL I boasts perhaps the most wide-open league-title race in the Wichita area. Maize and Newton should be much improved from last year off relatively disappointing season while Derby and Campus are likely to take a slight dip. Derby reached the state semifinals in Class 6A last year after a pair of surprise wins. But Salina Central is the defending league champion. Although the Mustangs will be strong in 2019, they have a lot to replace after graduating an outstanding senior class.
AVCTL II
Maize South
Andover Central
Eisenhower
Andover
Valley Center
Goddard
Arkansas City
AVCTL II has some of the best teams in the Wichita area this year. Maize South reached the Class 5A title game. Andover Central was the last undefeated team in the area. And Eisenhower took Maize South to penalties in the regional championship. Last year, those three tied for the league title, and on paper, there is little to split them again in 2019. Maize South enters with the most experience. Andover Central is the strongest in the final third. Eisenhower might have the best player in the area, midfielder Ethan Doud.
AVCTL III-IV
McPherson
Buhler
Rose Hill
Winfield
Circle
Augusta
Mulvane
El Dorado
McPherson coach Chris Adrian called his 2019 boys soccer team perhaps the most senior-heavy he has coached. Buhler is coming off an AVCTL III-IV title last year along with a Class 4-1A state championship game appearance, but the Bullpups have the pieces to knock off their rival in 2019. The secondary race comes for third. Rose Hill and Winfield have had fairly consistent success over the past few years, but Rose Hill enters this season with, like McPherson, a lot of senior leadership.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThe selection process
Preps reporter Hayden Barber selected these players based on questionnaires sent to coaches, last year’s performances and his own personal evaluation and knowledge of Wichita area high school athletics.
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