Two of the area's three girls soccer programs enter the 2026 season ranked among the state's best, while the third begins a rebuild under a first-year head coach. All three will compete in Region 6, one of the toughest in Class 5A.

The season opens Thursday, August 13.

Olympus: Senior-laden roster eyes title run

The Titans went 15-5 overall and 11-1 in Region 6 in 2025, winning the region title outright and advancing to the 5A Championship game before falling to Bountiful 2-1. Seventh-year head coach Jamie Evans brings back a senior-heavy roster headlined by defenders Emma Peterson and Kayla Bradley, forward Keira Bradley, and midfielder McCoy Cavazos.

Olympus ranked No. 2 in the 5A RPI last season and sits No. 2 again in the 2026 preseason coaches poll, behind only defending champion Bountiful. The Titans averaged 2.8 goals per game on offense and allowed just 1.0 per game on defense in 2025. Evans said the Titans return a strong core group, according to the Deseret News.

Brighton: Stingy defense, title aspirations

Sara Cowley's Brighton squad went 14-6 overall and 7-5 in Region 6 in 2025, finishing third in the region before rattling off playoff wins over Viewmont (3-0) and West Field (1-0). The Bengals' run ended in the quarterfinals with a 1-0 loss to Olympus, meaning both local contenders were ultimately eliminated by the eventual state champion or runner-up.

Brighton allowed just 1.0 goal per game in 2025, ranking No. 3 in all of 5A defensively, and scored 2.6 per game on offense. Cowley is in her seventh year leading the program. The Bengals are ranked No. 3 in the preseason coaches poll.

Cowley did not name specific returning contributors in preseason materials.

Skyline: New coach, fresh start

Then there's Skyline. The Eagles went 1-17 overall and 0-12 in Region 6 in 2025, finishing last in the region and second-to-last in the entire 5A classification by RPI. They allowed 3.0 goals per game while scoring just 1.1.

First-year head coach Jordyn Roth takes over a program that didn't qualify for the postseason and faces the challenge of rebuilding within one of the state's most competitive regions. Roth declined to name specific players, citing her newness to the program, but said she is excited to welcome a large group of underclassmen and believes returning players can push the team toward a successful season.

"We're feeling really positive about starting fresh and are looking forward to surprising watchers," Roth told the Deseret News.

Region 6 outlook

Coaches project the Region 6 order as Bountiful first, Olympus second, Brighton third, Alta fourth, Woods Cross fifth, Skyline sixth, and Viewmont seventh. With defending state champion Bountiful and two preseason top-three teams sharing a region, every league match carries postseason weight.

All three local programs open Thursday, August 13.