The Chieftains handled Maur Hill-Mount Academy, 6-0, in the regional finals Thursday at Beatty Field giving THS its first regional title since 2017.

Tonganoxie improved to 10-4 with the victory, while MH-MA ended its season at 4-9-1.

Senior Abel Mendoza electrified the home team and crowd right off the bat with a shot in the south goal just more than 2 minutes into the match (38:41) on an assist from junior Grayson Sonntag.

The contest would be a battle for much of the first half, as the Junior Ravens stayed with the Chieftains and still trailed just 1-0.

Senior Jimmy Larkin changed that with 4:46 left in the first half and THS eventually went into halftime with a 2-0 lead.

The second half would be all Tonganoxie.

Sonntag scored with 21:51 left in regulation before fellow junior Cuyler Kietzmann found the net on the north goal at the 16:27 mark. Shortly after, Sonntag knocked in another ball before senior Afton Boone for one more goal.

“I think we were a little surprised we scored so quick,” THS coach Jon Orndorff said about that early goal.

The victory moved THS to 10-1 this season in matches played at home. Tonganoxie also has scored 18 goals in it last three matches, but Tuesday’s state quarterfinal likely will be a much taller order for the Chieftains.

Enter powerhouse Bishop Miege, which qualified for Tuesday’s match after defeating Heritage Christian (11-4-1), 2-1, Thursday in Olathe. Miege also dropped Kansas City Christian (7-5-1) by a 4-1 score in the regional semifinals earlier in the week.

Miege enters next week’s contest at 7-5-3 and is riding a five-match winning streak. The teams have a few common opponents, with both squads going 3-0 against them. Miege defeated Piper, 7-0, in the season opener on Sept. 11, Eudora, 3-0, on Oct. 10 and then Kansas City Christian, 4-1, on Oct. 27.

Tonganoxie defeated KC Christian, 3-1, in the season opener on Aug. 28, Piper, 2-1, on Sept. 17 and Eduora, 6-0, on Oct. 22.

A victory Tuesday for Tonganoxie would be huge, simply because it would ensure that a school not named Bishop Miege would be state champion in 2020.

Rose Hill won back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015 and went an combined 40-1-1 during that span.

But since then, the juggernaut that is Miege has won four straight 4-3-2-1A titles. The Stags also won the 5A title in 2013.

“You relish the opportunity you get to try to knock them off,” Orndorff said.

Eliminating the Stags from the playoffs also would avenge last year’s playoff loss in the regional semifinals. Bishop Miege won that opening-round playoff matchup, 6-1, on a frigid and snowy night in Tonganoxie.

Some regional championships still must be decided before next week’s state quarterfinals.

In Region 1, No. 1 Elbing-Berean Academy (11-3-1) takes on McPherson (10-7) at 4 p.m. Friday at Elbing, while No. 1 Augusta (13-3) battles No. 2 Wichita’s Trinity Academy (10-6-1) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Augusta. In Region 3, No. 1 Independence (7-0-1) takes on No. 2 Rose Hill (14-1-1) at 5 p.m. Friday in Independence, while No. 1 Baldwin (10-5-1) battles No. 3 Eudora (7-7-1) in the Region 6 championship. Others already in the state quarterfinals are Coffeyville (13-1) in Region 4 and Louisburg (14-1) in Region 5.

Quarterfinal winners will advance to the the state semifinals Nov. 6 at Wichita’s Stryker Complex. State quarterfinal matches are 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Nov. 6, with the consolation match at noon Nov. 7 and the state championship 3 p.m. that day.