Note: For more photos from Tim McDonald, click here.

The high school boys soccer regular season ends this Saturday. Meaning, in due time some teams will embrace the role of Cinderella and run deep into the postseason night.

Eight-time champ Broomfield was a top-five seed in Class 5A just once in four class title runs. The Eagles should be among the better playoff seeds this year, but could another Eagle in Pine Creek be a dark horse?
This week, we take a look at some of the sleeper teams who could make a deep run into the playoffs.

Class 5A

RPI No. 8 Pine Creek (7-5-1, 4-0). The winners of the 5A Colorado Springs Metro League didn’t make the top 10 in the latest CHSAA coaches’ poll despite having not allowed a goal over their last 320 minutes on the pitch. And that might be a mistake.

The Eagles are playing their best soccer of the season, outscoring teams 16-0 over their past four games. Their lone loss over the past month came to No. 3 Denver East.

Ryan Baca has led the way this fall with nine goals and an assist. Connor Shaw has five shutouts in net.

No. 27 Northglenn (8-5, 3-4 Front Range League South). The Norsemen likely won’t just finish with their first winning record in the regular season in at least 15 years. They could make noise in the postseason, too.

The team that may have looked like the weak link in the FRL South at the start of the season hasn’t been. In fact, earlier in the month, the Norsemen turned heads when Jair Santana sent an overtime winner past now-sixth ranked Boulder.

At 27 in RPI, looking to nab a spot in the 32-team field, this could be a bubble team to fear in the first round and beyond.

Class 4A

No. 11 The Classical Academy (9-2-1, 4-0 4A/3A CSML North). The Titans have a heck of a resumé not to be in the latest 4A top 10.

Wins against 5A Pine Creek and 3A No. 4 Colorado Academy have bolstered a strong season. They also drew with 4A No. 3 Cheyenne Mountain last month.

On their current five-game winning streak, the Titans have outscored teams 32-1. Jackson Baker had six goals and an assist in a 10-0 win over Sand Creek last Thursday. He leads 4A with 29 goals.

A win over Sierra this week will give TCA the league title.

No. 15 Skyview (8-2-3, 7-0-1 5A/4A Colorado League). The Wolverines have already locked up a league title thanks to their current seven-game winning streak.

Playing well at the right time, the Thornton school can beat you from a lot of places. Eleven players have scored for the Wolverines this season. Jared Olave has led the way with six goals.

The Wolverines will close this week with Gateway and Thornton.

**

Class 3A

No. 12 Faith Christian (5-6-2, 3-3-1 3A/2A Metro League). Despite a losing record, the Eagles are primed for the postseason.

Battle tested out of a league that includes 3A No.1 Jefferson Academy, No. 4 Colorado Academy, No. 8 Peak to Peak and No. 9 Kent Denver, Faith Christian won three of its last four coming into the week.

Senior keeper Zach Cohoon is averaging nearly six saves per game and has four shutouts on the season.

No. 13 James Irwin (10-3-1, 2-1-1 3A Tri-Peaks). The Jaguars would need a few things to go right this week to bypass Atlas Preparatory School for a league title (starting with a win over Manitou Springs Thursday). Either way, the Jags are an interesting projected middle seed.

James Irwin has had an impressive season, which included wins over 2A No. 3 Thomas MacLaren and 4A Palmer.

It’d won eight straight before its current 1-1-1 run. Irwing Romo, meanwhile, is the kind of player who can steal games. He has 19 goals and eight assists this season.

**

Class 2A

No. 11 Telluride (7-5, 5-1 2A Intermountain). The Miners are likely to stick inside the 16-team 2A postseason cut no matter what happens this week.

Though, if they win out, they’d secure at least a share of a league title.

Telluride has won five straight, beating Ridgway last Tuesday behind goals from Baen Tougher, Alain Montano and Taylor Holmes. The Miners have had 11 goal scorers this season.

A nice tune-up to the postseason, they close with defending champ Crested Butte Saturday.

No. 13 SkyView Academy (10-4, 7-2 Mile High East). The Hawks completed the regular season last Thursday with a dominant 7-1 win over Front Range Christian. Now, they await their postseason fate.

SkyView ended the year winning three straight, outscoring teams 55-24 on the year.

Anton Reznikov averaged two goals a game, finishing with 28 and two assists.