"You did everything I wanted you to do," Bliss told his team on the sideline. "Besides getting the shutout."

The win was just the latest in the Rams' rally back to the top of Region 6 following a midseason slump that included losses to Olympus and Cottonwood. Highland now has its eyes focused squarely on East, which holds the second-place position in the region behind Olympus.

The Rams have the tools to catch the Leopards and the results of Tuesday's game could be the deciding factor in the region's state tournament seedings. A loss, however, would leave Highland vying for position with Murray.

While the Rams are far from done this season, they are pleased with what they have accomplished so far. Heading into this season, Bliss did not know what to expect from his young team. And the Rams have struggled in recent years to overcome eligibility issues and a hooligan reputation.

Throughout the season, however, the Rams have been nothing but a class act, quietly notching up wins against some of the top teams in the state.

"We can beat anyone if we stick to our game plan and play for 80 minutes," said Bliss.

East

The East boys' soccer team is living up to its hype as the regular season comes to a close. Following a 4-1 loss to Highland on April 11, the Leopards went on a six-game winning streak, including a 2-1 victory over Region 6 leader Olympus.

On Tuesday, East had another shot at Highland, a team chasing the Leopards for the second-place seed in the state tournament.

Regardless of the outcome, the Leopards will be a force to reckoned with in the playoffs. Having been a part of East's 2006 championship team, Stayner Langeland, Coulson Wiscombe, and Matt Rider will bring their rough-and-tumble style into the postseason in hopes of earning another shot at a state title.

Skyline

First-year coach Alan Jones had a specific goal heading into this season: Lead the Eagles back to their winning ways. Jones did just that, and ruffled a few feathers in region play along the way.

The Eagles gave themselves a chance to earn a playoff spot early in the regular season by defeating top-ranked Jordan and Alta. In fact, until last week, the Eagles were still in contention to earn the third and final state tournament berth in the tough Region 2 despite riding a three-game losing streak. However, losses to Alta and Brighton dashed Skyline's postseason hopes for this season.