Everyone was stunned by the two upsets in the Class 2A West regional boys soccer playoffs Friday.

Atholton (3-9), a team that entered the playoffs with one win, that had not beaten a county opponent and that had scored only eight goals all season, defeated a high-scoring (47 goals), second-ranked Glenelg team that was probably the favorite to win the Class 2A state title and that had beaten Atholton earlier in the season, 5-1.

Friday's 1-0 victory made a hero of Atholton's Scott DeFrances, whose rebound shot with 13 minutes left in the first half was all the Raiders needed to score one of the biggest wins in playoff history.

Atholton's James Conrad marked Glenelg's leading scorer, Josh Burford, who had a hat trick against River Hill. But Conrad wasn't able to stop Burford from getting off a point-blank volley that Atholton goalkeeper Dave Hamburg stopped.

"I'm surprised they never got a goal," Raiders coach Roch DeFrances said. "They pounded us. They dominated the first 15 to 20 minutes. They outshot us 11-6. We didn't bunker down defensively after we scored, but played straight up. Jerome [DeFrances] did a good job at sweeper."

Scott and Jerome are sons of the coach and rarely has one family been better represented in a playoff game.

Although the Raiders had a poor record, it was deceiving. Atholton lost four 1-0 games, two one-goal overtime games and two 2-0 games. It tied Centennial, 0-0, in the final regular-season game. Only Glenelg and River Hill had pounded the Raiders.

Hammond (7-6-1) entered the playoffs with a more impressive record and had taken No. 9-ranked Centennial to overtime before losing, 2-1, in the first game of the season.

The Bears had knocked Centennial from the playoffs last season, and were confident they could do it again. Friday's 2-1 win, although an upset, was no fluke.

"If we play our hardest, we can beat any team," said Kwaku Boateng (13 goals, four assists), their leading scorer for the second straight season. "This is what the playoffs are all about. There are no favorites."

He scored one of the two goals, along with Doug Rainey.

"My guys were outmatched, but they played hard and wanted it," said Hammond coach Trevin London. "I knew that Centennial would dominate the midfield."

Centennial coach Jim Zehe probably wishes he had kept his home-field advantage and played at Centennial instead of at Howard under the lights.

"Since I started coaching Centennial, our record at Howard under the lights is 0-4-1," said Zehe. "We didn't play well against set pieces, as we haven't all season. My goalkeeper said that their first goal was not a goal, but the net was loose and it looked like it went through when it really went outside the post."

Atholton and Hammond now will play each other tomorrow at Hammond at 2:45 to decide which long-shot winner will play for the regional championship Thursday.