Knocking off a higher seeded team in the first round of the 5A girls soccer tournament isn't a new development for Viewmont. The Vikings have accomplished such a feat in each of the past three seasons and adding Skyline to their collection of first-round upset victims last week drew little attention.

Taking down Brighton on its home field during the quarterfinals made a much bigger statement – both about Viewmont and about the strength of Region 1 this season.

Three of the four spots in the 5A semifinal games on Tuesday at Juan Diego are filled by Region 1 teams. Alta, the three-time defending state champion, is the lone team from the rest of the 5A regions to still be alive in the playoffs.

Why are Davis, Fremont and Viewmont meeting – and in some cases exceeding – expectations in the playoffs? Vikings coach Eric Landon said that depth in the region helped toughen up the teams at the top because they were facing quality opponents on a continual basis.

Only nine points separated the top four teams in Region 1 by the end of the regular season and that closeness was reflected in how things played out on the field.

"Every game we go into is a battle," Landon said after his team's 3-1 victory over Skyline. "The girls know that every game they are going to have to fight for it."

The first semifinal on Tuesday matches Davis and Viewmont against one another for the third time this season. The Darts won both previous meetings – blanking the Vikings 2-0 in September and winning 3-0 in the final week of the regular season to clinch another Region 1 title.

Going back to last season, Davis has won three straight over the Vikings. But Viewmont took three of four from the Darts before that, so nothing is guaranteed going into this latest matchup.

If Viewmont hopes to spring another upset, slowing down Katie Taylor might be a good starting point. Taylor is 5A's second leading scorer behind Alta senior Kealia Ohai. The Vikings also need a strong outing from their top two playmakers – Aleesha Flandro and Ali Forsberg.