The question Saturday was whether the Coronado boys soccer team could make it through regional play without a loss.

The answer was apparent within 20 minutes, when Dylan Flores scored from 20 yards out to ignite a flurry of first-half goals as the defending state champion Cougars rolled to an 8-1 home victory over Palo Verde in the Class 5A Southern Region boys championship game.

Both teams will travel to Reno next week for the state tourney at Hug High School. Coronado (23-0), the South’s top seed, will play No. 2 North representative Sparks on Friday in the semifinals, and Palo Verde, No. 2 in the South, will face Hug, No. 1 in the North, on Friday. The title game will be played at noon Saturday.

“We expected a tough game,” said Coronado coach Dustin Barton, whose squad extended its o

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