BOYS SOCCER: Kent-Meridian, Kentridge, Kentlake and Kentwood on the outside looking in

The soccer playoffs are right around the corner.

But where are the local teams?

If the standings in the South Puget Sound League North Division remain as they were at the beginning of the week, none of the four Kent schools — Kentlake, Kent-Meridian, Kentridge and Kentwood — will be advancing. The top four teams from the North earn a postseason berth. As of Thursday afternoon, Kentwood found itself in sixth (5-5-2, 17 points) followed by Kentlake (4-6-3, 15 points), Kentridge (3-6-4, 13 points) and Kent-Meridian (0-10-2, 2 points).

With 16 games on the regular-season schedule, the Royals already have been eliminated from postseason contention despite showing marked improvement this spring. Mathematically, the Chargers and Falcons remained alive for a playoff berth, but in need of some help to advance. Meanwhile the Conquerors remained more alive than most, but still on the fringe of qualifying for the SPSL playoffs, which begins May 12.

The Conquerors picked up a huge win on Tuesday night, knocking off Auburn 3-0. Stefan Bangsund netted a pair of goals while Rodney Greiling collected the shutout in goal.

Kentlake also pulled out a huge victory, knocking off Tahoma, 2-1, for the second time this season.

Kentridge showed its not out of the running on Tuesday as well, getting a pair of goals from Sam Piehler in a 2-0 win over K-M.

The path to the playoffs remains a challenging one for the Kent teams.

The top four teams in the North advance to the playoffs.

If all holds, this will be the first time since 2006 that no Kent School District boys soccer program has qualified for the postseason, and only the second time during the past decade.

“There’s always at least one Kent team in the playoffs. At least one if not two,” said Kentridge coach Glenn Walrond, whose team was the lone Kent representative in last year’s SPSL playoffs.

Of the four Kent programs, Kentwood entered the week in the best position to make the playoffs.

“I am happier with where we are than two spots behind where we’re at,” said Kentwood coach Aaron Radford, whose team came into the week four points behind fifth-place Federal Way (5-4-3, 18 points) and five points behind fourth-place Tahoma (6-4-1, 19 points). “It’s going to be a challenge (to advance).”

The Conquerors have shown the ability to compete with the top teams in the league this spring as they’ve beaten frontrunner Jefferson (8-3-1, 25 points) early in the season, but they haven’t been able to find any consistency. Kentlake finds itself in a similar boat as it has beaten Tahoma and third-place Auburn Riverside, but hasn’t been able to string much together.

“We can play with anybody, that’s the nice thing with the SPSL this year,” said Kentlake coach Kyle Jones. “We just haven’t been able to find the back of the net.”

Anybody certainly can play with anybody else. Kentridge has proven that time and time again this spring, having tied second-place Auburn and third-place Auburn Riverside. The Chargers also have beaten the Ravens once along with fourth-place Tahoma.

Despite beating some of the top team, and competing on the same level as all the teams, the Chargers are still on the outside looking in — as are the rest of the Kent teams.

“The good thing about the ties — the only positive — is that if we can knock off one of those teams that we tied, that gives us the tiebreaker,” said Walrond. “We can’t win the division, can’t take second and third is probably out of the question … but fourth, there are like six teams fighting for it.”

Yet, how is it that all of the Kent schools are on the bottom looking up?

“High school soccer teams, those that have the big, big senior classes, tend to be the more consistent. Kentridge graduated 13, we graduated 11 or 12 in that mix, Kentlake lost some seniors and some returners,” said Radford, whose team is dominated by sophomores and juniors. “I see some of these other teams, not only are they consistent, but they have some veteran seniors.”