CLASS 6A 
 
2025 State Champion: Washburn Rural 
 
2025 State Runner-up: Mill Valley 
 
2025 Review: Washburn Rural made school history last season with its first state championship, and if that wasn’t dramatic enough, the way the Junior Blues did it was. After 100 minutes of scoreless soccer Washburn Rural, under head coach Brian Hensyel, earned the 1-0 win in penalty kicks after it cruised to a 4-1 advantage over Mill Valley in the shootout. It was the fifth time the Junior Blues had reached the finals as they finished with a 19-2 record. Mill Valley, on the other hand, finished runner-up after winning the state title. It was the first state championship game appearance under then first-year head coach Justin Crawford as the Jaguars last won it in 2023. Defensively, Mill Valley was strong all postseason as it allowed just one goal prior to the championship. To get to the championship, Washburn Rural downed Blue Valley in the semifinals, 4-1, while Mill Valley defeated Maize 4-0 to set up the title showdown. Blue Valley ended its season with a 2-1 victory over Maize in the third-place match. Blue Valley knocked off EKL rival Blue Valley North in the state quarterfinals and avenged a loss from earlier in the year, while Maize defeated Free State in the quarterfinals. Olathe Northwest and Topeka High also earned regional titles to reach the state quarterfinals. 
 
2026 Contenders: Washburn Rural, after winning its first state championship a year ago, will try for No. 2 this season. The Junior Blues will have some roster reshuffling to do as they lose 11 seniors from that group and six of those went on to play college soccer, including the program’s all-time leading scorer in Kate Hinck. They do return one of their top defenders in Dayne Shriver, who is a 3-year starter and a Washburn commit. Mill Valley, the defending state runner-up, returns several key pieces from last year’s run. Junior forward Pagie Frost, along with senior midfielder Jenna Lloyd, are back after earning first team all-state honors last season, along with senior goalie Jamie Ricker. The Jaguars will have to replace the 6A Defender of the Year in Lauren Welch, who graduated last year, but will try to improve on last year’s 17-3-1 record. Ava Edwards, one of the team’s leading goal scorers from a year ago, graduated early and will not be playing this season. Blue Valley will have to replace its top two goal scorers after last season’s third place finish, but senior defender Mary Kate Weinrich is back after an all-state season a year ago, as is junior Emma Austin. Midfielder senior Georgia Menees also returns to lead the midfield for the Tigers. Maize brings back several key pieces after taking fourth at state as it tries for its 21st straight regional title as well. Junior forward Mikaela Llamas is back after leading the team with more than 14 goals a season ago as is senior midfielder Taylor Gray who also had double-digit goals. Senior forward Taylor Dill had a team-high 12 assists. Blue Valley North brings back some star power after its loss in the state quarterfinals a year ago. The Mustangs returns the Class 6A Midfielder of the Year in sophomore Evie Kincaid, who had a big freshman season with 20 goals and 10 assists. Joining her is senior forward Lauren Freberg, who scored 14 goals and had seven assists, along with senior defender Cate Jernigan, who also had seven assists on the year. Olathe Northwest, after falling to Mill Valley in the quarterfinals, returns a pair of all-state players in junior midfielder Marley Everett and forward Alexa Regas, as the Ravens try and build off their 12-5-2 season a year ago. Free State earned an upset of Derby to reach the quarterfinals and the Firebirds brings back a handful of players off their 9-9-1 team a year ago that lost to Maize in the quarterfinals. Topeka High, which entered last year’s regional tournament as the No. 14 seed, made it all the way to the state quarterfinals before falling to Washburn Rural. Senior Natalie Barnes is back after leading the Trojans with 21 goals on the season. Shawnee Mission East also figures to play a role in the state tournament talk as the Lancers return much of their back line. They will also have an infusion of club talent as midfielders Mia Mosher (Ole Miss), Addison Stover (IU-Indy) and forward Lauren Mercer (Missouri) will strengthen this year’s group that already brings back a large group of players.
  

CLASS 5A 
 
2025 State Champion: Bishop Carroll 
 
2025 State Runner-up: St. James Academy 
 
2025 Review: Bishop Carroll knocked down the door in last season’s state championship match. The Golden Eagles, which had reached the state semifinals in 10 of the last 14 seasons, won their first championship with a 2-1 victory over St. James Academy. They were also the first team, not from the Kansas City area, to win a 5A title and became the second team in Kansas history to win with a perfect record (21-0). As for St. James, the Thunder captured their first Eastern Kansas League title on their way to a state championship run, which included a state quarterfinal win over St. Thomas Aquinas, which had won the previous four state titles, and then shutout Kapaun Mt. Carmel in the semifinals, 3-0. Kapaun Mt. Carmel went on to beat De Soto in the third place match, 2-1, after De Soto fell to Bishop Carroll in the semis. Kapaun made its first state appearance since 2018, while De Soto won the United Kansas Conference and made the state semis for the fourth time. Eisenhower, Maize South and Seaman also earned a spot in the state quarterfinals before falling. 
 
2026 Contenders: After winning its first state title with an undefeated season, Bishop Carroll is hoping for back-to-back championships as the Golden Eagles return a big chunk of its team from a year ago, but lost the program’s all-time goal scorer, Leah Henke, to graduation. Leading that group is senior forward Avery McCorry, who was second on the team in scoring along with sophomore Andrea Vielmas who had more than 10 goals and 15 assists last season. Senior midfielder Liza Dugan and junior centerback Madeline Weed also return to lead the Golden Eagles. After finishing runner-up last season, St. James Academy will try to build off last season’s performance that had just two losses on the year. The Thunder will be led by their defense again as senior all-state goalie Emma Smith is back in the net, along with senior defender, and Air Force commit Kambree Duker, who contributed to more than 12 shutouts on the year. They will also have some experience up top as senior forward Alexa Aylward, a Drake commit, had more than 23 goals last season. Kapaun Mt. Carmel will try to build on its third place finish last season. Junior forward Sara Claire Michaelis is a good place to start as she had more than 30 goals and 12 assists a year ago, while senior Annabelle Schaefer is back to anchor in the defense after both earned first team all-state honors last season. De Soto has several players back after taking fourth a year ago, including sophomore forward Colbie Warne. She had a big freshman campaign after breaking the program’s scoring record with 44 goals, while seniors Sydney Cinotto and Ellie Gress will anchor the Wildcats’ midfield. St. Thomas Aquinas will try to make its way back to the top after a string of four-straight state titles was snapped. The Saints will try to do that with their defense leading the way. Sophomore goalie Adelynn Forge and senior defender Kennedy Miller were both second team all-state selections a year ago, as was junior forward Angelina DiCola who had double-digit goals last season. Seaman, which lost to De Soto in the state quarters, brings back several key players as well including first team all-state midfielder Ava Golightley, while centerback Addyson Shipp will anchor the Viking defense. Maize South had just three losses a year ago before falling to the eventual state champion the quarters. Senior midfielder Avery Fellows will try to lead the Mavericks back after she had seven goals and 12 assists last year, while senior defender Caroline Giroux will lead the back line. Eisenhower lost to Kapaun Mt. Carmel in the quarterfinals in what was the Tigers’ lone setback of the season, but return five key players from that group including senior midfielder Chloe Smith, junior midfielders Kaleigh Shamburger and Reese Nusser, along with senior forward Reagan Best as they will try to replace the departure of the team’s leaders in goals an and assists in Mackenzie Jordan. Smith and Best both had 15 goals a season ago and are the Tigers’ leading returning scorers.
 

CLASS 4-1A 
 
2025 State Champion: Bishop Miege 
 
2025 State Runner-up: Hayden 
 
2025 Review: Bishop Miege continued its dominance in the Class 4-1A state tournament last season as the Stags notched another state championship on their very large belt. However, Hayden nearly ended their winning ways. Bishop Miege got a golden goal in the second overtime to earn a 2-1 victory over the Wildcats to secure their ninth straight championship. With that victory, the Stags also recorded their 45th straight postseason win. As for Hayden, the Wildcats made their first state championship appearance since 2015 – the last time they won a state title — which also the last time a team not named Bishop Miege claimed the crown. Hayden earned a 2-0 victory over Louisburg in the state semifinals to move on. Bishop Miege defeated Rose Hill, 2-1, in the state semifinals as well. Rose Hill eventually outlasted Louisburg for a 2-1 victory in the third-place match. The Rockets tied for their best state finish since 2011 with the victory, while Louisburg had its top state performance since they finished fourth in 2021. Eudora, Kansas City Christian, Trinity Academy and Mulvane also made the state quarterfinals.  
 
2026 Contenders: Bishop Miege will try for its 10th consecutive state championship this season, but the Stags will have some work to do as they have to replace eight starters, which includes the Forward of the Year in Naomi Harris and Co-Defender of the Year, Rowan Epps, from last season’s title team that finished 16-5. They have a good place to start in junior Olivia McGaugh and sophomore Paige Jackson, who are both returning all-state midfielders as the Stags try to make more history in 2026. Hayden could find themselves right back in the state tournament against this season as the Wildcats lose just four seniors off last season’s team that finished 13-8. They return several key players and it all starts with senior Carsyn Broxterman who led the team in goals scored and assists last season. She is joined by Reese Huscher as she was second on the team in scoring and assists. Both players were all-state selections. Rose Hill, which ended its season at 16-5, lost a pair of major players, including Midfielder of the Year in Paige Winter and Co-Defender of the Year Neveah Kelly, but return the team’s leading scorer in forward Kyia Kelly on a Rocket team that scored the most goals in Class 4-1A last season. Also return all-state defender Aubrey Moore and goalie Raymie Kroeker. Louisburg lost five seniors off last year’s group, which included one of the top scorers in program history in midfielder Rowan Yows. Still, the Wildcats bring back several starters from their 16-5 team, including a back line of returning all-state players in Lila Edwards and Faith Sewell. Sophomore forward Kahlan Harris is also back after an all-state season a year ago. Eudora, which finished third in the Frontier League and made its first state tournament appearance, returns a trio of attacking players in junior midfielders Payton Chappelle and Kambrea Kerr, and sophomore forward Kylie Bourne off their school record 11-win season. Trinity Academy, which ended with a strong 14-2-2 record, also brings back several pieces from last season’s team that made the state tourney for the third straight season. Those include senior defender JoJo Henderson, junior midfielder Abby Tofteland and sophomore forward Abby Diefenderfer. Henderson and Diefenderfer were both first-team all-state selections, but will not have first-team all-state selection Sophia Baker this season as she graduated early. Kansas City Christian, which had a 14-4 record last year, will be anchored by senior goalie Kate Guerry. The Panthers set the program record for wins in a season last year and won the Kaw Valley Conference for the first time, while Guerry broke the school record for most shutouts. Mulvane, which ended with a 12-7 record a year, brings back the team’s leading scorer in Brittani Peschel, who had 34 goals and 12 assists as a freshman last season. The Wildcats also return the second leading scorer in Elsa Kolbe, who had 17 goals as a freshman.