There are plenty of reasons why East has assumed the role of favorite when it comes to guessing which girls soccer teams will step forward next weekend and claim a state championship.

It all starts with the Leopards doing what no other team in the state could do. East was the only team to go unbeaten and untied during the regular season — an accomplishment that helped it secure a Region 6 championship and a No. 1 seed for a second consecutive year.

Still, the Leopards are not about to take things for granted. They only need to think back to last fall when they entered the 4A quarterfinals as heavy favorites over fifth-seeded Bonneville and promptly suffered an upset loss to the Lakers.

"Last year, we came in and played a team that was the last seed and they ended up winning the whole thing," senior midfielder Tessa Nicolaides said. "We learned you can't underestimate anyone based on seeding."

Being a target for upset-minded underdogs is not a new sensation for some state title favorites. Alta knows all about getting an opponent's best shot in playoff games. And the Hawks have mastered rewriting that script to their advantage.

"We're used to having the target on our back after winning state the past three years and I think we do a really good job of keeping focused and not worrying about it," senior forward Kealia Ohai said.

Ohai said Alta defuses some outside pressure it faces going into the playoffs each year by focusing on each game on their schedule individually and approaching it like that game is the one which matters most.

"Before every single game, Coach (Lee) Mitchell says, 'This is the most important game of the year.' and I think that just reminds us every single time that it really is," Ohai said.

With Ohai — the state's leading scorer — leading the way, the Hawks are overwhelming favorites to claim their fourth 5A title in four years. Still, several teams believe they can overtake Alta and claim the championship trophy for themselves.

Davis, the Region 1 champion, is in the 5A title mix. Katie Taylor leads a potent offense for the Darts and goalkeeper Jaime Wilkinson — the statewide leader in shutouts — anchors a strong defense. Fremont could also be a darkhorse contender after finishing a close second to Davis.

Brighton is probably the most serious threat to the Hawks — especially after battling them to a 3-3 draw last week. The Bengals have taken several strides forward in recent weeks and take motivation from being in the Hawks' shadow.