Arbor View and Palo Verde Advance to State Tournament
The two teams meet for the Class 5A Southern Region soccer title this Saturday at noon.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Soccer
Live Poll
In your community, is student leadership more important than coaching for high school sports success?
Arbor View and Palo Verde are set to compete for the Class 5A Southern Region boys soccer title after winning their respective semifinal matches on Wednesday night. Both teams have now qualified for the upcoming state tournament.
Why it matters
The region title game on Saturday determines which local program enters the state tournament with the top seed. The final bracket for the state championship will be set following this weekend's match.
Arbor View enters the region final with a 13-8-3 season record, while Palo Verde holds a 16-4-3 mark. Both programs will advance to the state tournament site at Faith Lutheran on Nov. 6-7.
The players
Arbor View
The No. 2 seed high school soccer program that advanced to the regional final.
Palo Verde
The soccer program that qualified for the state tournament after a semifinal win.
Desmond Guevara
The Arbor View player who scored three goals and two assists in the semifinal win.
The details
Arbor View secured its spot after a 6-2 win led by Desmond Guevara, who recorded three goals and two assists. Additional goals were provided by Robert Starbird Jr., Gavin Garris, and Frank Grieco. The team is now headed to its first state tournament appearance since 2021 after a stretch of postseason play that included a shootout win against Eldorado on Monday. Palo Verde earned its championship berth by defeating Canyon Springs 3-1.
Timeline
Monday: Arbor View won a shootout against Eldorado.
Wednesday night: Arbor View and Palo Verde won region semifinal matches.
Saturday at noon: Arbor View plays Palo Verde for the region title.
Nov. 6-7: The 5A state soccer tournament takes place at Faith Lutheran.
Beyond the Strip
This year's qualification marks Arbor View's return to the state tournament stage following their 2021 semifinal appearance. The team builds on that precedent as they prepare to face Palo Verde for the regional crown this Saturday.
Fans can attend the region title game at noon on Saturday to see which team takes the top seed. The state tournament follow-up will take place at Faith Lutheran on Nov. 6-7.
The takeaway
The region final this Saturday serves as the final decider for state tournament seeding. Spectators should look to the matchup between the 13-8-3 Aggies and the 16-4-3 Panthers to see which program claims the regional trophy.
Further reading
For more updates on local prep athletics, visit the Soccer section.
Live Poll
In your community, is student leadership more important than coaching for high school sports success?
