2024 Girls Final Four

We finish the 2023-24 soccer year with the Girls State Final Four at Worldwide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton in what should be a closely contested finale in all four classes.

Some quick numbers for the weekend ahead (Mo Soccer Power Ranking comparisons in parentheses):

Class 1

Saxony Lutheran (13-6-1) (+.106) vs. Summit Christian (13-6) 10 AM.

Laquey (18-4-1) (+.280) vs. Lutheran St. Charles (9-8-3) Noon

These 4 teams have been in the top 5 for most of the last half of the season (along with #1 Metro, who was upset in the District semifinals) and likely won't be separated by much in any of the matches. Lutheran St. Charles is the only non #1 seed (only four districts in C1 this year) to advance. Saxony is looking for its third title (2015, 2016), SCA is in its third final four but looking for its first title, while LSC and Laquey advance for the first time in school history.

Class 2

Notre Dame de Sion (13-7-1) vs. Whitfield (13-3) (+.03) 2:30 pm

Logan-Rogersville (23-4) (+.36) vs. Helias Catholic (14-9) 5 pm

Three of these four have been jostling all year in the top 7 or so, with Helias making a late charge after a sluggish 0-5 start. The Crusaders seek their first title in their 6th trip, while Logan-Rogersville advanced to the Final Four for the first time. LR hasn't lost to a C2 team all year. The marquee matchup is the game, pitting 3-time winner de Sion in its 10th trip against 2022 champ and 2023 runner-up Whitfield. The two are almost dead even in the MPR.

Class 3

St. Michael the Archangel (13-8) vs. Cor Jersu (19-4) (+1.41) 11 am

Rockwood Summit (12-9-1) vs. Ft. Zumwalt South (18-5) (+.53) 1:30 pm

If one was to look ahead, it would be easy to see a juicy championship match between 3-time defending champ FZS and giant-killer Cor Jesu. FZS hasn't quite dominated as in the past, but had the resolve to knock off North Point and Ladue by 1-0 scores, while Cor Jesu eliminated the state's top team (in any class) all year, St. Joseph's Academy, in the district finals, 3-2 before dismantling Cape Notre Dame 8-0. No team may be playing better than the Chargers over the past month. Rockwood Summit grinded out a tough penalty win at Springfield Catholic to reach its 6th FF. Summit has already topped FZS in penalties earlier in the year. St. Michael hasn't been challenged in the postseason, winning all four by a combined 23-0 margin.

Class 4

Lee's Summit (15-3-2) vs. Nerinx Hall (15-3-1) (+.06) 4 pm

Blue Springs South (16-4-1) vs. Eureka (19-3) (+.22) 7 pm

Four evenly matched squads represent the big schools this weekend as the state's two largest cities each have two area representatives after some quirky district alignments. Lee's Summit ousted defending champ Liberty North 1-0 in the quarters to reach its 4th FF. LS has never won a semifinal. Nerinx Hall has yet to concede a goal in playoff action, but more importantly looks to break its run of four straight 2nd place finishes with its second school championship. BSS started the season fast (6-0), then went into a mid-season funk where it won only two of seven. The Jaguars are currently on a 8-game winning streak. Eureka is looking for its third title in four appearances and comes in battle tested, having played four extra time games, including a 2-1 district championship win over Lafayette. Eureka also lost to Cor Jesu 3-2 earlier in the season.

Enjoy the weekend!!