They shredded opponents in the regular season and in the playoffs.

The offense was potent. The defense staunch. The goalkeeper a brick wall when called upon to make a save.

The 2019 Mars girls soccer team turned in an epic and all-time great season.

USA Today seems to think so, too.

The paper ranked the Planets No. 4 nationally in a poll Tuesday.

Only Jesuit (Portland, Oregon), Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio) and McDonough (Owings Mills, Maryland) were ranked higher than the Planets in the country.

That's some serious national recognition.

And why not? Mars was virtually untouchable this season on the way to winning the WPIAL and PIAA 3A championships.

How potent were the Planets?

They won two playoff games by 7-0 scores.

They outscored their playoff opponents 36-2 — and one of those goals surrendered was on a penalty kick.

They won the WPIAL final 4-0. That's unheard of in a district championship game, let alone in the ultra-competitive District 7.

They swept through the state playoffs with wins of 6-1, 4-0 and 5-1 before playing their toughest opponent of the postseason in Villa Joseph Marie, which is also nationally-ranked, and won 1-0 on a first-half goal by Taylor Hamlett.

The only blemish (if one can call it that) for Mars (22-0-1) was a 3-3 tie against Class 4A Seneca Valley.

The Planets only gave up 10 goals the entire season and never more than one in a match other than the tie against the Raiders.

So a good case can be made that this Mars team is the best in the history of Butler County.

There are other teams that could give the 2019 Planets a run.

Like the 2011 Mars girls soccer team, for instance.

The Planets of that season were just as dominant in Class 2A, winning the WPIAL and the state titles.

But they didn't blitz their way through the playoffs with such aplomb.

The 1999-2000 Karns City girls basketball team could make a case for best team ever in Butler County, as well.

The Gremlins went 31-1 and won the District 9 and state titles.

That, too, was a special team with a slew of stars.

I remember the state semifinal game that year against Southern Huntingdon. It was one of the first games I covered for the Butler Eagle and I was amazed by the way the Gremlins played in crunch time.

Karns City was 30-of-31 at the foul line and won by six.

That's performing under pressure.

Karns City dominated in the PIAA championship to cap a 30-game winning streak.

It's difficult to find very many teams that approach the three above.

The 2019 Mars girls soccer team just may be the best of the bunch.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.