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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.

Another side to keep on eye 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.