ADAMS TWP — One school.

One sport.

Two teams.

And a whole lot of dominance.

That's what 2020 has yielded so far for the girls and boys soccer teams at Mars High School.

Both squads are undefeated and earned the No. 1 seed in the WPIAL playoff brackets, which were released Wednesday. Both will also face Laurel Highlands in the Class 3A first round.

The Planet boys (14-0) host the Mustangs (7-8) at 1 p.m. Saturday. Mars' girls (12-0) host LH (4-10) at 8 p.m. Monday.

“I do a camp with the boys team each year,” said Mars girls coach Blair Gerlach, who was head coach of the school's boys team 2002-06. “I attend a lot of their games because I want to support soccer in our community. They have a similar style to us, with multiple scoring threats from multiple angles.”

The balance that Mars' girls attack teams with is one reason why the Planets will be a very tough out as they prepare to defend their WPIAL and PIAA titles from last year.

The Planets are ranked No. 3 in the country by a poll released by United Soccer Coaches.

“This team is set up to have a lot of different players contribute,” Gerlach said. “You can win with one dominant scorer, too, but our goal is to figure out a way to get that balance with our scoring.”

Three seniors lead the way. Gracie Dunaway has scored 18 goals, Ellie Coffield has 16 and Caroline Wroblewski 13.

The Planets have outscored their opponents 73-5, due in large part to the defensive play of Piper Coffield, Gwen Howell, Erin Rodgers and Ellie Howell.

“They don't allow opponents to get many opportunities on (goalkeeper) Courtney Lisman,” said Gerlach, “but when we've needed her to step up, she has.”

Gerlach sees several Class 3A teams who could make a run to the WPIAL title game, scheduled Nov. 7 at a site to be determined.

“Hampton and Franklin Regional are both very good,” he said. “We defeated Plum in the WPIAL final last year, but they were a very young team and that bodes well for them from an experience standpoint.

“You look at a team like Connellsville and the scores they've put up, haven't allowed a single goal all year. And any team that sleeps on West Allegheny will regret it.”

The Planet boys have scored 74 goals and allowed just three all season.

“We're solid all around, but I'd say the most impressive aspect of our play has been the defense. We've been playing as a group and playing hard.”

While many players have contributed to the Planets' near-refusal to surrender goals, the team employs only three players on its back line, not the traditional four.

The starting trio includes seniors Trent Wick, Ryan Pasko and junior Mason Meyer.

“Three has definitely worked well for us,” Wick said. “All three of us have played that (defensive formation) on club teams, so we understand it and know what to do.”

Senior goalkeeper Jake Gareis has been “outstanding,” according to Knauff. “He brings a lot of confidence to our defense.”

Dane Beller leads the Planets with 26 goals, followed by Tyler Nymberg (14) and Nabil Lahlou (12).

Other Butler County soccer teams to earn section titles in the WPIAL this season include Butler and North Catholic on the girls side; Seneca Valley and North Catholic on the boys side.

North Catholic's boys varsity team has been shut down through next Tuesday due to possible exposure to COVID-19 from a game against Quaker Valley Oct. 14.

North, seeded third, plans to send its junior varsity team out to play in Monday's first-round playoff against Leechburg at the Mars Athletic Complex.

Quaker Valley announced Saturday that all of its sports teams will not participate in any competition until Nov. 2 after nine recent positive tests within the school.

“Our junior varsity team has not had any contact with the varsity team since before the game with Quaker Valley,” said North Catholic athletic director Brian Miller.

Quaker Valley will not get to defend its district and state titles from last year.