The Waterloo High School soccer team honored its senior players and their parents prior to Thursday’s home match against Civic Memorial. Senior soccer players include Taylor Baum, Trevor Coplin, Dawson Holden, Ben Huels, Cole Kolmer, Griffin Lenhardt, Drew Marshall, Philip Most, Ryan Stites, Collin Webb, Brenden Young, Andrew Yount and Nick Valerius.

With just a couple more games left in the regular season, local high school soccer teams are hoping to put their best feet forward for the playoffs.

Gibault has just one game left before it begins regional play, and the team appears to be clicking on all cylinders at the right time.

The Hawks have won six of their past seven games, including a 1-0 victory over Collinsville on Monday. Kyle Rocca scored the game’s only goal and Luc Epplin made seven saves in net for Gibault.

Gibault dropped a 1-0 contest to Alton on Saturday.

Last week, the Hawks topped Belleville East on Tuesday, 3-0, and Althoff on Wednesday, 2-0. Ben Mueth scored all three goals in the win over Belleville East and added another the following night. Aaron Grohmann scored the other goal on Wednesday.

Mueth leads the team in scoring with 17 goals and two assists.

Gibault (10-6-1) hosts O’Fallon on Thursday to close out the regular season. The Hawks are the top seed in the IHSA Class 1A Freeburg Regional and will play the winner of an Oct. 7 match between Valmeyer and Lebanon on Oct. 12.

The regional final will be played 1 p.m. Oct. 15.

Valmeyer is 6-9 on the season following a 4-2 win against Metro-East Lutheran last Wednesday and a 3-0 loss to Father McGivney on Monday. Easton Wallace scored two goals for the Pirates in the victory over Metro-East Lutheran.

Waterloo and Columbia could be on a collision course this postseason. The 2015 Class 2A state champion Bulldogs and 2014 Class 1A state champion Eagles were placed in the IHSA Class 2A Columbia Regional this season.

The Bulldogs earned the top seed and will play the winner of Mascoutah vs. Marquette on Oct. 19. The Eagles will play Triad on Oct. 19. The regional final is set for 7 p.m. Oct. 22 for a date in the Waterloo sectional.

Waterloo is 14-2-2 on the season following a win and a tie in recent action.

The Bulldogs tied Jerseyville last Tuesday, 3-3. Ben Huels, Philip Most and Jake Elsing scored the goals for Waterloo.

Waterloo played in the mist at home for senior night on Thursday in a 6-3 win over Civic Memorial. Most scored two goals and added an assist. Dawson Holden scored a goal and added two assists.

The Bulldogs played at Mascoutah on Tuesday and will host Highland on Thursday.

Huels leads the team with 20 goals to go along with eight assists. Most has 17 goals and 10 assists.

Columbia is 14-1-2 on the season following a 2-0-1 showing in the Gateway Classic tournament at Oerter Park over the weekend.

The Eagles tied Carthage on Friday, 1-1. Zach Schult scored the goal with an assist from Connor Jackson.

On Saturday, Columbia topped Granite City, 3-1, in the morning and closed out the day with a 2-0 win over McCracken County, Ky. Sam Spivey, Liam McGonigle and Jake Bridges each scored goals against Granite City; Jackson and Bridges scored the goals against McCracken County.

The Eagles played Collinsville on Tuesday and will host Alton on Thursday.

The team is led in scoring by Riley Hubler (13 goals, six assists), Jackson (12 goals, six assists) and Spivey (10 goals, seven assists). Bridges has eight goals and seven assists.