The first round of the 2019 state soccer championships will begin Wednesday for classes AAAAAAA, AAAAA, AAA and A-Public and A-Private and Friday for classes AAAAAA, AAAA and AA. Here's a tournament preview for the early starters:
Class AAAAAAA
No. 1 team: Lambert
2018 champion: Lambert
Overview: Top-ranked Lambert's bid to defend its 2018 crown begins with a game against Rockdale County on Wednesday. The Longhorns have lost one match this season – to North Gwinnett 2-1 on April 9 – but have outscored its opponents 16-1 since. Lakeside-DeKalb enters the tournament as the No. 2 team in the class and the No. 1 team from Region 7. The Vikings won five boys soccer titles from 1970 to 1981, and its latest was the Class AAAA title in 2008, when the state had five classifications. Lakeside will open its tournament against Peachtree Ridge.
First-round matchups:
R4 #3 Etowah at R1 #2 Colquitt County
R3 #4 North Paulding at R2 #1 Pebblebrook
R6 #3 Mill Creek at R7 #2 Meadowcreek
R5 #4 South Forsyth at R8 #1 South Gwinnett
R1 #3 Camden County at R4 #2 Walton
R2 #4 East Coweta at R3 #1 Hillgrove
R7 #3 Central Gwinnett at R6 #2 Collins Hill
R8 #4 Rockdale County at R5 #1 Lambert
R2 #3 Campbell at R3 #2 Kennesaw Mountain
R1 #4 Tift County at R4 #1 Lassiter
R5 #3 Forsyth Central at R8 #2 Archer
R6 #4 Peachtree Ridge at R7 #1 Lakeside-DeKalb
R3 #3 North Cobb at R2 #2 Newnan
R4 #4 Roswell at R1 #1 Lowndes
R8 #3 Grayson at R5 #2 Milton
R7 #4 Norcross at R6 #1 Mountain View
Class AAAAA
No. 1 team: Cross Keys
2018 champion: Johnson-Gainesville
Overview: Top-ranked Cross Keys has two losses, including a 3-0 loss at Class AAA No. 1 Westminster on April 18 to end its regular season. Before the loss to Westminster, Cross Keys allowed only four goals in seven games and scored 42. The Indians will open the tournament against Cedar Shoals. No. 2 Starr's Mill will carry the No. 1 seed from Region 3 into its first-round match against Ware County. The Panthers have spent the last seven matches outscoring opponents 40-5 since losing to Whitewater 2-1 on March 8.
First-round matchups:
R4 #3 Dutchtown at R1 #2 Harris County
R3 #4 Fayette County at R2 #1 South Effingham
R6 #3 Riverwood at R7 #2 Villa Rica
R5 #4 Arabia Mountain at R8 #1 Johnson-Gainesville
R1 #3 Thomas County Central at R4 #2 Woodland-Stockbridge
R2 #4 Ware County at R3 #1 Starr's Mill
R7 #3 Kell at R6 #2 Lithia Springs
R8 #4 Cedar Shoals at R5 #1 Cross Keys
R2 #3 Statesboro at R3 #2 McIntosh
R1 #4 Warner Robins at R4 #1 Union Grove
R5 #3 Chamblee at R8 #2 Clarke Central
R6 #4 North Springs at R7 #1 Carrollton
R3 #3 Whitewater at R2 #2 Wayne County
R4 #4 Locust Grove at R1 #1 Veterans
R8 #3 Loganville at R5 #2 Clarkston
R7 #4 Rome at R6 #1 Decatur
Class AAA
No. 1 team: Westminster
2018 champion: Westminster
Overview: Westminster has won 13 boys soccer titles and five since 2011, including the past two years. The Wildcats enter the tournament as the team to beat with a first-round matchup against Hart County. Westminster has lost one match this season -- 1-0 against Station Camp, Ala., on March 29 – and have only allowed one goal in five victories since the loss. Greater Atlanta Christian is the No. 2 team in the class and is riding a 14-game winning streak since losing to Marist 2-1 on Feb. 14. In that stretch, the Spartans have 10 shutouts, including a streak of seven consecutive matches without allowing a goal.
First-round matchups:
R4 #3 Jackson at R1 #2 Worth County
R3 #4 Savannah Arts at R2 #1 Tattnall County
R6 #3 North Murray at R7 #2 East Hall
R5 #4 Stone Mountain at R8 #1 Jefferson
R1 #3 Cook at R4 #2 Peach County
R2 #4 Liberty County at R3 #1 Islands
R7 #3 Dawson County at R6 #2 Calhoun
R8 #4 Hart County at R5 #1 Westminster
R2 #3 Long County at R3 #2 Benedictine
R1 #4 Monroe at R4 #1 Pike County
R5 #3 Pace Academy at R8 #2 Morgan County
R6 #4 Murray County at R7 #1 Greater Atlanta Christian
R3 #3 Windsor Forest at R2 #2 Pierce County
R4 #4 Westside-Macon at R1 #1 Crisp County
R8 #3 East Jackson at R5 #2 Lovett
R7 #4 Fannin County at R6 #1 Coahulla Creek
Class A-Private
No. 1 team: Whitefield Academy
2018 champion: N/A
Overview: For the first time, a Class A-Private soccer champion will be crowned. Top-ranked Whitefield Academy will be in the hunt for its second boys soccer title after it won the 2017 championship. Whitefield is riding an eight-game winning streak (all shutouts) heading into its first-round match against Riverside Military. No. 2 St. Anne Pacelli lost to Columbus 1-0 on April 10, but has two road victories (4-1 against Brookstone) and (3-2 against Harris County) since.
First-round matchups:
A5 #2 Mount Paran Christian at A7 #1 Atlanta International
A1 #2 Aquinas at A3 #1 Athens Academy
A6 #2 King's Ridge at A8 #1 Wesleyan
A2 #2 Mount de Sales at A4 #1 Strong Rock Christian
A7 #2 Paideia at A5 #1 Walker
A3 #2 George Walton at A1 #1 Calvary Day
A8 #2 Riverside Military at A6 #1 Whitefield Academy
A4 #2 Landmark Christian at A2 #1 St. Anne Pacelli
Class A-Public
No. 1 team: Georgia Military
2018 champion: N/A
Overview: After years of battling with private schools in the Class A soccer bracket, the A-Public classification will have a shot at its own title. Area 2 No. 1 Georgia Military leads the way as the top-ranked team in the class and will face Dooly County in the first round. Georgia Military lost to Putnam County 4-2 on the road April 10 but rebounded with a 3-2 victory against Academy for Classical Education on April 16 to end its regular season. Area 1 No. 1 Atkinson County enters its first-round match against Montgomery County as the No. 2 team in the class.
First-round matchups:
A5 #2 Elite Scholars at A7 #1 Lake Oconee Academy
A1 #2 Echols County at A3 #1 Claxton
A6 #2 Morris Innovative at A8 #1 Towns County
A2 #2 Ace Charter at A4 #1 Chattahoochee County
A7 #2 Greene County at A5 #1Drew Charter
A3 #2 Montgomery County at A1 #1 Atkinson County
A8 #2 Commerce at A6 #1 Trion
A4 #2 Dooly County at A2 #1 Georgia Military
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