Lexington County’s boys soccer teams are in the home stretch.

The SCHSL soccer playoffs are just two weeks away, and several local squads are primed to make deep postseason runs.

5A

River Bluff

Playing in a region with the defending 5A state runners up, it’s River Bluff that stands atop Region IV heading into its final three games of the regular season, but there’s still a lot to be determined.

The Gators currently sit at 13-3 and 5-1 in region action. Their lone loss in region play came against Lexington 3-2 on March 14, but tournament action also saw River Bluff play an extra game against Chapin. The Eagles won the tournament game 2-1, but the Gators took the one that counted for the playoffs 2-1.

Chapin currently sits in third, having played fewer games, but will host River Bluff again on April 25 in a matchup that could very well determine the region champion.

Connor Banchero and Jordan Burns have led the River Bluff offense so far this season. Banchero leads the team with 14 goals, adding a pair of assists. Burns scored another 10 goals on the year. Logan Watchinski leads the team with seven assists, while Thomas Myrick and Brady Orr each have a pair.

Charlie Godwin and Tyler Watchinski have split time in goal with seven shutouts on the season. They have combined to allow less than a goal a game.

Chapin

Last year’s 5A state runners up are in a precarious spot. They are currently in third place in the region but have plenty of opportunities to gain ground.

On top of next week’s matchup with River Bluff, they have games with Dutch Fork and White Knoll left. A sweep in those games puts the top of the region in a shaky spot, as all three teams at the top would split with each other.

The Eagles’ only two losses this season came within region play in the span of a week, falling to River Bluff and Lexington. The loss to Lexington, a 3-1 defeat on March 24, may be the most defining, as that two-goal win gave Lexington the tiebreaker.

Chapin’s strength this season has been defense and goal. Will Robinson has racked up 58 saves on the year, while allowing just 13 goals. He occasionally split time with Cooper Hughes, who has not allowed a goal. The pair combined for six shutouts.

Freshman striker Jalen Tucker has led the Eagle offense to the tune of 12 goals and five assists. Carson Graves added another six goals and six assists, while Luke Hilton has another eight assists and two goals.

Lexington

The third team in the crowded battle for the Region IV title is Lexington.

The Wildcats currently sit at 16-3-2 with their 4-2 mark in region action. They too have split with River Bluff and Chapin. Should River Bluff and Lexington finish with a tie, things get more complicated, as they each beat each other by one goal.

Lexington faced White Knoll on Tuesday and will finish region play with Dutch Fork next week, having already beaten both teams by scores of 6-1 and 6-0, they will look to take care of business and see where the chips fall.

The Wildcats have been powered by an electric offense, scoring 83 goals on the season. Senior midfielder Franklin Spires leads the way in both goals and assists with 27 and 14, respectively. Kenny Kwizera, another senior captain, has 18 goals and 13 assists, while sophomore Barrett Wilson has scored another 11 goals with seven assists. Sophomore Ethan Alexander has another 10 assists and two goals.

Braden Guilano has been excellent in goal, racking up 74 saves, while allowing just 23 goals. He’s recorded four shutouts on the season.

Dutch Fork and White Knoll

Dutch Fork and White Knoll round out the region. Dutch Fork has secured the fourth and final playoff spot in the region after two wins over White Knoll by scores of 2-1 and 3-0.

The Silver Foxes are 6-6-1 overall. Ethan Bates, Blayne Lott and David Liboyi have each scored five goals to lead the offense, while Carter Godfrey has another four goals and four assists. Sophomore’s Jonas Bryson and Max Wener have split time in goal.

White Knoll started strong at 4-1, but have not won since a 3-0 finish over Irmo on March 7.

4A

Irmo

Irmo enters the home stretch in second place in Region V behind A.C. Flora. They have three region games left but no chance to catch A.C. Flora, who has not lost in region play. The two faced off Monday with Irmo falling 3-0 after a shootout loss March 23.

Those are Irmo’s only region losses after a slow 1-6 start, which largely came against bigger schools. Since beginning region play, they have only lost to Flora.

The Yellowjackets will face Westwood Thursday before region games against Ridge View and Lugoff-Elgin. They’ll then prepare for the playoffs against Providence.

Airport

Airport has yet to win a game this season and has been eliminated from the postseason. The team has scored four goals this season.

3A

Brookland-Cayce

The Bearcats sit atop Region V-3A with an 8-1 mark.

They have been on a tear after a 1-5 start, winning 11 in a row. The loss that killed the streak came just before spring break, a 3-0 defeat against Chapin.

After a 2-0 loss to Dreher in region play, they won eight straight region games before closing conference play against Orangeburg-Wilkinson April 25. The team previously beat O-W 7-1 on the road.

Senior captain Alex Rivera has paced the offense with 14 goals and three assists, while Andy Rivera has scored another seven goals with two assists.

Freshman Iker Alonzo Cruz has recorded 66 saves in goal and has allowed just over one goal a game. He’s recorded four shutouts on the season.

Swansea

Swansea sits in fourth in Region V, but still need to hold their ground to fend off Orangeburg-Wilkinson.

The Tigers held a one-game lead going into an April 25 game with Dreher with a record of 3-4 in region play. They close out region play against O-W as they look to clinch a trip to the playoffs.

The Swansea offense has been led by junior Ismael Martinez, who has scored 11 goals and dished out seven assists. Both are team-highs. Juel Rivers has another eight goals and six assists.

Sophomore Pedro Flores has been the primary keeper, racking up 20 saves and allowing 12 goals in 11 games played. He’s recorded two shutouts on the season.

2A

Gray Collegiate

Last year’s 2A state runners up are primed to make another championship run this spring.

Gray Collegiate has run away with Region IV with a 7-0 mark, needing a win over Columbia next week to complete the region sweep. They’ve scored at least six goals in each of their region wins, including a 21-0 romp of Fairfield Central.

The biggest game on their schedule was a rematch of last year’s state championship. The team traveled to Christ Church, who is now in 1A, and lost in shootouts after finishing the second overtime in a 3-3 tie. The only other loss to a team not in a larger classification was another shootout loss to Bishop England.

The final major test before the playoffs will be the final regular season game against Chapin next April 27.

Zachary Hart has powered the Gray offense with 18 goals and six assists. Jonathan Coonce has another 10 goals and six assists, while Ben Richards leads the team with 11 assists and another seven goals.

Sophomore Joey Sullivan has locked down the net with 66 saves and just 17 goals allowed. He’s recorded nine shutouts on the season.

Batesburg-Leesville

Also in 2A, Batesburg-Leesville is in prime position to claim a region crown.

The team already completed play in Region III and sat in first, waiting to see how Silver Bluff finishes their final two region games, as the two squads split during the regular season and each won by a goal.

The Panthers are 8-3 overall and 5-1 in region play. Their only other two losses came in shootouts against Newberry.