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Bladensburg High School boys' soccer coach Joe Ogunsanya is getting used to dealing with pressure. It was there when he took over the Mustangs' program this year following Sean Flynn's successful tenure at the school, and it's back now that his team is entering the 4A South Region playoffs as the No. 1 seed.

"Everyone wants to get a piece of you," said Ogunsanya, whose side finished the year 10-2 in the region. "There is pressure – I can sense that. We are happy that we are No. 1, and hopefully we will maintain that status in the regional playoffs."

Bladensburg, along with fellow seeded teams High Point, Roosevelt and Parkdale, will receive a first-round bye in the tournament, which starts Friday. The regional champion will advance to the state semifinals.

After lacking cohesion and chemistry while dropping their season opener to Roosevelt, 2-0, the Mustangs came together during a nine-game winning streak.

Bladensburg did, however, blow a 2-0 lead at home against Parkdale on Oct. 20 before ultimately dropping the contest, 3-2.

"That shows to my team that we are not yet where we are supposed to be as a team," Ogunsanya said. "As a coach, my job is to keep us focused and get us back to what we were doing at the beginning of the season."

Bladensburg gets started at 3 p.m. Tuesday against the winner of Friday's Northwestern-DuVal game.

On paper, High Point is entering the playoffs with a 10-2 record in the region. But to coach Michael Holt, his team might as well be 0-0.

"We just look at as a restarting of the season," Holt said. "We know that all the teams are coming out playing because this is a knockout competition. We're not taking anything for granted."

Playmaking midfielder Cesar Castro's creative vision and defender Maxime Bebe's closing speed on defense could very well take the Eagles deep in the playoffs.

 Holt said if his team wins the regional title, it won't be because of any individual performer's efforts.

"We don't have any special players," Holt said. "We try to play together as a team. That's the kind of philosophy I have imposed on the team."

The second-seeded Eagles will play at 3 p.m. Tuesday against the winner of Friday's Suitland-Henry A. Wise game.

Roosevelt coach George Kallas' main concern heading into the playoffs is the same worry he has had since the preseason: health.

Kallas said his team practiced last week with nearly half the team out due to various illnesses. Jeffey Hopper, who has six goals and 13 assists this season, missed three practices while out sick, and speedy striker Awa Dulleh has also been limited after being hospitalized with a high fever on Friday.

When healthy, the 9-2 Raiders showed how dangerous a side they can be by going 2-1 against the other seeded teams. The way Kallas sees it, walking away with the regional championship is all about playing well at the right time.

"No matter what, it's going to be very tight at the top because the four seeded schools have all pretty much beaten each other or been in very close games," Kallas said. "Anyone can, at any one time, go on a hot streak and win it."

Third-seeded Roosevelt will play host to the winner of Friday's Oxon Hill-Laurel game at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

Although Parkdale's 9-3 record earned the Panthers the fourth and final seed in the playoffs, coach Dalitso Chinkhota said his team is susceptible to inconsistency. Losses to High Point and Laurel by 4-0 and 3-0 scores, respectively, seem to confirm that notion.

After claiming a 3-2 win against top-seeded Bladensburg less than two weeks ago, Chinkhota would like to think his team has turned in its last lackluster performance.

"I definitely believe we have some good momentum going forward," he said. "It's just about staying consistent, playing well and executing."

If Parkdale is matched up against High Point or Laurel again, Chinkhota has faith his team will fare better the second time around.

"The first meeting is a matter of trying to figure out who those teams are," Chinkhota said. "I now have confidence in these individuals to get the job done."

Parkdale has the No. 5 seed and opens the playoffs at home at 3 p.m. Tuesday against the winner of Friday's game between Charles H. Flowers and defending Class 4A state champion Bowie.

That Bowie finished 8-4 in the region and didn't get one of the top four seeds is testament to the region's depth this year.

If reigning Gazette-Star Player of the Year Brian Graham is healthy for the tournament after missing a substantial portion of the season due a hamstring injury and sickness, the Bulldogs could very well make a run at another regional crown. 

"It's more of a mental kind of problem we've been dealing with," said Bowie coach Richard Kirkland of his team's struggle to win consistently. "That, with illness and injuries, has been pretty hard on the team as a whole."

Another side to keep eye on could be Eric Ferguson's Laurel Spartans. With a 3-0 win over Parkdale to go along with one-goal losses to High Point and Roosevelt, the Spartans have shown they can compete with the best.