On Sunday (Oct. 24) at 5 p.m., the 12-team Class 5A brackets for the boys and girls state soccer tournaments will be determined, which Cleveland High girls coach Greg Rusk is anxiously awaiting.
As of press time, the Rio Rancho High School boys team had the best chance for a first-round bye, awarded to the top four teams. The Rio Rancho girls team was confident of a playoff berth, while the Cleveland girls team was crossing its fingers for a berth and the Storm boys were out of the postseason for the second year in a row.
The first round will be played Tuesday, with the top four seeds resting until the quarterfinals: that first round, with higher seeds hosting the games, are 5 vs. 12, 6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10 and 8 vs. 9. Those games’ winners then tackle the top four, depending on seeds, in the quarterfinals, to be played Oct. 29 and 30.
The semifinals on Nov. 3 will also played at the site of each game’s higher seed. (For more information, check the New Mexico Activities Association’s website, nmact.org.)
The 5A championship games will be played Friday, Nov. 5, at the UNM soccer field: The girls’ game is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m.; the boys’ game starts at 5:30.

(Read more about the final week of the regular season in the Oct. 24 edition of the Rio Rancho Observer!)

Cibola’s Mercedes Morris hops over Cleveland goalkeeper Ashlyn Bartley, with the Storm’s Ava Lowe (20) closing in during the 1-1 draw Oct. 16 at Cleveland.