The first round of the girls soccer playoffs in Classes AAAA, AAA, AA and A wrapped up Wednesday night, and for the most part they went according to form.
Higher-seeded teams went 50-14 in the four classifications, and only four No. 1 seeds were knocked out.
The three larger-school classifications will finish their first rounds on Thursday and Friday.
Here’s a recap of the first-round action so far:
*High-profile matchups: Region 5-AAA flexed its muscles in a couple of games matching top-10 teams. Pace Academy (ranked No. 4 by Eurosport) got a goal from Jessica Haidet with about two minutes remaining in overtime to beat No. 5 Lumpkin County 2-1. Sixth-ranked Lovett went on the road and beat third-ranked Dawson County 2-0. Region 5 champion Westminster had little trouble in a 10-0 win over North Hall. The only losing team from Region 5 was Redan, which fell 10-0 to top-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian.
*Region champions: Four No. 1 seeds have been eliminated. Region 6-AAAA champion Northwest Whitfield (ranked No. 9) lost to No. 8 Oconee County 3-2. Region 8-AAA champ and eighth-ranked Jackson County lost to Adairsville 1-0. Region 6-AA winner South Atlanta was eliminated by Putnam County 4-3, and Area 7-A champ Darlington lost to ninth-ranked Pinecrest Academy 2-0. In all four cases, the losing teams came from regions/areas that suffered four-game sweeps in the first round.
*Defending champs: Four of the reigning state champions have played their first-round matches, and all advanced easily. St. Pius reached the second round in Class AAAA with a 10-0 victory over Gilmer. Westminster (the 2016 AAA winner) and Lovett (the AA champ) moved on in the AAA bracket. The Atlanta private-school rivals would not meet again until the state final. Defending Class A champion Fellowship Christian, ranked No. 7, breezed into the second round with a 10-0 win over Trion.
*Class A public teams out: Only four public schools qualified for the playoffs in Class A, and all four were knocked out in the first round. Mount Zion, the No. 4 seed from Area 7, lost to third-ranked Walker 10-0. Lake Oconee Academy, a public charter school in Greene County, lost to Area 1 champion Savannah Country Day 9-0. Towns County was eliminated by fifth-ranked Holy Innocents' 4-0, and Atkinson County lost to Area 3 winner Athens Academy 8-0. No public school has ever won the Class A championship.
*Bracket of death: The most difficult quarter of the bracket in any classification is the top-right quadrant in Class AAAA, where three of the top four teams in the rankings will have to battle it out just for a shot at the semifinals. St. Pius' victory over Gilmer puts the Golden Lions in the second round at home against Region 2 runner-up Mary Persons, an 8-2 winner over Luella. The other second-round game in that part of the bracket has No. 3 Blessed Trinity on the road at No. 4 Columbus. Marist is ranked No. 1.
*Other classifications: Although most of the action on the first two nights of the playoffs came in the four smallest classifications, there were a handful of other games, as well. Peachtree Ridge got two goals and an assist from Erin Harris in a 7-0 victory over Rockdale County in Class AAAAAAA. The Lions outshot Rockdale County 30-1, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post. In AAAAA, Meghan O'Neill scored both goals for Eagle's Landing in a 2-1 win over Ware County, and Union Grove beat South Effingham 6-1.
*Scoreboard: Here are the scores and second-round matchups for the four classifications that completed the first round on Wednesday.
Class AAAA
First-round scores
Jefferson 5, Southeast Whitfield 0
Woodward Academy 6, West Laurens 0
Cairo 4, Thomson 0
LaGrange 1, White County 0
North Oconee 5, Heritage-Catoosa 0
Spalding 8, Salem 0
Northside-Columbus 10, Baldwin 0
Marist 10, Central-Carroll 0
Mary Persons 8, Luella 2
St. Pius 10, Gilmer 0
Blessed Trinity 10, Sandy Creek 0
Columbus 16, Hephzibah 0
Howard 1, Druid Hills 0
Oconee County 3, Northwest Whitfield 2
Chapel Hill 3, Chestatee 2
Richmond Academy 10, Westover 1
Second-round games
(R8 #3) Jefferson at (R4 #1) Woodward Academy
(R1 #3) Cairo at (R5 #1) LaGrange
(R8 #2) North Oconee at (R2 #1) Spalding
(R1 #2) Northside-Columbus at (R7 #1) Marist
(R2 #2) Mary Persons at (R8 #1) St. Pius
(R7 #2) Blessed Trinity at (R1 #1) Columbus
(R8 #4) Oconee County at (R2 #3) Howard
(R5 #2) Chapel Hill at (R3 #1) Richmond Academy
Class AAA
First-round scores
Sonoraville 3, Monroe Area 1
Pike County 10, Brantley County 0
Islands 10, Cook 0
Westminster 10, North Hall 0
Bremen 3, Morgan County 1
Pierce County 9, Rutland 0
Southeast Bulloch 4, Crisp County 1
Greater Atlanta Christian 10, Redan 0
Long County 2, Jackson 1
Adairsville 1, Jackson County 0
Lovett 2, Dawson County 0
Worth County 4, Windsor Forest 3
Peach County 7, Liberty County 2
Calhoun 2, East Jackson 0
Pace Academy 2, Lumpkin County 1
Savannah Arts 10, Dougherty 0
Second-round games
(R6 #2) Sonoraville at (R4 #1) Pike County
(R3 #2) Islands at (R5 #1) Westminster
(R6 #3) Bremen at (R2 #1) Pierce County
(R3 #3) Southeast Bulloch at (R7 #1) Greater Atlanta Christian
(R6 #4) Adairsville at (R2 #2) Long County
(R5 #3) Lovett at (R1 #1) Worth County
(R8 #2) Peach County at (R6 #1) Calhoun
(R5 #2) Pace Academy at (R3 #1) Savannah Arts
Class AA
First-round scores
Elbert County 8, KIPP Atlanta Collegiate 2
Harlem 5, Swainsboro 1
Berrien 2, Bleckley County 1
Lamar County 3, Coosa 0
Oglethorpe County 10, Washington 0
St. Vincent’s 6, Jefferson County 0
Thomasville 3, Dodge County 1
Model 10, Temple 0
Vidalia 4, Screven County 2
Social Circle 10, Therrell 0
Dade County 10, Jordan 0
Fitzgerald 4, Washington County 1
Glenn Hills 3, Toombs County 2
Putnam County 4, South Atlanta 3
Callaway 6, Rockmart 3
East Laurens 7, Brooks County 0
Second-round games
(R8 #3) Elbert County at (R4 #1) Harlem
(R1 #3) Berrien at (R5 #1) Lamar County
(R8 #2) Oglethorpe County at (R2 #1) St. Vincent’s
(R1 #2) Thomasville at (R7 #1) Model
(R2 #2) Vidalia at (R8 #1) Social Circle
(R7 #2) Dade County at (R1 #1) Fitzgerald
(R8 #4) Putnam County at (R4 #2) Glenn Hills
(R5 #2) Callaway at (R3 #1) East Laurens
Class A
First-round scores
Paideia 1, Hebron Christian 0
Atlanta International 4, Mount de Sales 0
Calvary Day 5, Prince Avenue Christian 2
Walker 10, Mount Zion 0
Lakeview Academy 7, Mount Vernon Presbyterian 4
First Presbyterian 3, Strong Rock Christian 0
Savannah Christian 4, Aquinas 3
Pinecrest Academy 2, Darlington 0
Stratford Academy 5, Landmark Christian 0
Wesleyan 10, Galloway 0
Mount Pisgah Christian 5, Christian Heritage 0
Savannah Country Day 9, Lake Oconee Academy 0
Eagle’s Landing Christian 1, Brookstone 0
Holy Innocents’ 4, Towns County 0
Fellowship Christian 10, Trion 0
Athens Academy 8, Atkinson County 0
Second-round games
(A6 #2) Paideia at (A4 #1) Atlanta International
(A1 #3) Calvary Day at (A5 #1) Walker
(A8 #2) Lakeview Academy at (A2 #1) First Presbyterian
(A5 #4) Pinecrest Academy at (A1 #2) Savannah Christian
(A2 #2) Stratford Academy vs. (A8 #1) Wesleyan
(A5 #3) Mount Pisgah Christian at (A1 #1) Savannah Country Day
(A4 #2) Eagle’s Landing Christian at (A6 #1) Holy Innocents’
(A5 #2) Fellowship Christian at (A3 #1) Athens Academy
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