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Several local prep soccer teams sit just a couple wins away from the state championship.

And for some, the next step in that journey will take place tonight on local soil.

More than a half-dozen teams are still alive in the state soccer playoffs – a number that represents proof of how much the sport has grown in the area during recent years.

Tonight, two games will take place with both the South Terrebonne and Central Lafourche girls’ aiming to defend their home field and move to the next stage of the field.

In girls’ soccer, we have a mix of titans and Cinderella stories left in the field.

The Lady Gators would be that Cinderella team – a squad which reached the playoffs as the No. 24 seed, but is now in the Quarterfinals after beating No. 9 Riverdale and then No. 8 Beau Chene – both on the road – to advance.

In tonight’s matchup, South Terrebonne will be stiffly challenged by one of the best teams in Louisiana, No. 1 St. Thomas More.

The match will take place at 6 p.m. in Bourg.

But we also have our share of powerhouses, too.

In Division II, No. 4 Central Lafourche will defend their home field tonight in a battle with No. 5 Ben Franklin, which eliminated Terrebonne in the second round.

The Lady Trojans are one of the best teams in the area – a strong, physical side.

If they win, the Lady Trojans will meet the winner of that St. Thomas More/South Terrebonne matchup in the semifinals.

Over in Division III, many suspect it will be a local that takes it all.

Vandebilt is the No. 1 seed in that bracket and the Lady Terriers rolled through their first playoff game with a dominant 8-0 win over Pearl River.

The Lady Terriers will next take on University Lab in the Quarterfinals.

In the same bracket sits No. 5 E.D. White, which is also in the Quarterfinals after beating Lutcher in the second round.

If both the Lady Cardinals and Lady Terriers win, they’d compete against one another in the Semifinals.

On the boys’ side, Division III is loaded with the same culprits with Vandebilt owning the No. 1 seed and a spot in the quarterfinals after crushing St. Martinville 7-0 on Wednesday night.

The Terriers will take on No. 8 Episcopal in the next round.

On the bottom end of the bracket sits what may be Vandebilt’s kryptonite, the No. 2 E.D. White Cardinals.

The Cardinals are still standing after beating Parkview Baptist 1-0 on Wednesday in a close, hard-fought match.

If both teams continue to win, Vandebilt and E.D. White would meet in the State Championship Match.

So far this season, the Cardinals have had Vandebilt’s number, scoring two-straight victories in district play over their rivals to earn the District Title.