McIntosh of Class AAAAA will be seeking its third consecutive state championship and sixth in eight years when the girls soccer state tournaments for the three highest classifications begin on Tuesday.
Class AAAAAAA Lassiter will try to win its second title in three years, and top-ranked Johns Creek of Class AAAAAA will be going for its first title in program history.
Here’s a look at Classes AAAAAAA, AAAAAA and AAAAA. The tournaments for the four lower classifications will begin on Thursday and will be previewed later this week.
Class AAAAAAA
*No. 1 team: Lassiter
*2017 champion: Lambert
*Overview: Lassiter held the No. 1 ranking for most of the season, surrendering it briefly after a 2-0 loss to current No. 3 Milton on March 13. The Trojans regained the top spot the following week and will bring a seven-game winning streak into the tournament. No. 2 Parkview is one of the hottest teams around, winning 15 consecutive games since a 2-1 loss to Peachtree Ridge on Feb. 23. Lassiter and Parkview would meet in the semifinals. Milton had two wins, one loss and a tie in its final four games of the regular season but still brings a 13-2-1 record into the playoffs. Don't count out Brookwood or Peachtree Ridge on the right side of the bracket, either.
*Worth noting: Lambert is the only defending state champion that failed to qualify for the playoffs this year. The Longhorns finished tied with South Forsyth for fourth place in Region 5 but came up on the short end of the tiebreaker.
*First-round matchups:
(R6 #3) Collins Hill at (R5 #2) Forsyth Central
(R8 #4) South Gwinnett at (R7 #1) Parkview
(R2 #3) Newnan at (R1 #2) Camden County
(R4 #4) Etowah at (R3 #1) Hillgrove
(R5 #3) West Forsyth at (R6 #2) Mill Creek
(R7 #4) Norcross at (R8 #1) Grayson
(R1 #3) Lowndes at (R2 #2) Campbell
(R3 #4) Kennesaw Mountain at (R4 #1) Lassiter
(R8 #3) Archer at (R7 #2) Brookwood
(R6 #4) North Gwinnett at (R5 #1) Milton
(R4 #3) Roswell at (R3 #2) Marietta
(R2 #4) Westlake at (R1 #1) Tift County
(R7 #3) Lakeside-DeKalb at (R8 #2) Rockdale County
(R5 #4) South Forsyth at (R6 #1) Peachtree Ridge
(R3 #3) North Paulding at (R4 #2) Walton
(R1 #4) Colquitt County at (R2 #1) East Coweta
Class AAAAAA
*No. 1 team: Johns Creek
*2017 champion: Harrison
*Overview: Johns Creek (15-0-3) did not allow a goal in five postseason matches last year but came up short in the final when it lost to Harrison on penalty kicks. The Gladiators are perfect against AAAAAA teams this year, their three ties coming against AAAAAAA teams South Forsyth, North Gwinnett and Roswell. Harrison is not a region champion for the first time since 2010, but the Hoyas remain a big threat. They are No. 2 in the Eurosport rankings, two spots ahead of Creekview, which took the Region 6 title from the Hoyas this year. No. 7 Glynn Academy (17-0) comes in with the best record but has not played a ranked AAAAAAA team.
*Worth noting: Mundy's Mill, which opened in 2003, is in the state playoffs for the first time. The Tigers finished as the No. 2 seed from Region 4 and will host Heritage-Conyers in the first round.
*First-round matchups:
(R6 #3) Sequoyah at (R5 #2) Alexander
(R8 #4) Gainesville at (R7 #1) Johns Creek
(R2 #3) Richmond Hill at (R1 #2) Valdosta
(R4 #4) Forest Park at (R3 #1) Lakeside-Evans
(R5 #3) Douglas County at (R6 #2) Harrison
(R7 #4) Alpharetta at (R8 #1) Dacula
(R1 #3) Houston County at (R2 #2) Effingham County
(R3 #4) Grovetown at (R4 #1) Tucker
(R8 #3) Lanier at (R7 #2) Pope
(R6 #4) Allatoona at (R5 #1) Northgate
(R4 #3) Jonesboro at (R3 #2) Greenbrier
(R2 #4) Brunswick at (R1 #1) Lee County
(R7 #3) Dunwoody at (R8 #2) Apalachee
(R5 #4) South Paulding at (R6 #1) Creekview
(R3 #3) Heritage-Conyers at (R4 #2) Mundy’s Mill
(R1 #4) Northside-Warner Robins at (R2 #1) Glynn Academy
Class AAAAA
*No. 1 team: McIntosh
*2017 champion: McIntosh
*Overview: McIntosh (15-1-2) is the overwhelming favorite to win its 12th state championship. The Chiefs are 15-1-2 this season and have victories against No. 2 Decatur (2-1), No. 4 Veterans (4-1), No. 5 Whitewater (3-0) and No. 6 Starr's Mill (2-1). McIntosh's only loss came against Class AAA No. 1 Westminster, 2-1 on March 24. It's the only time the Chiefs allowed more than one goal in a match this season. Decatur started the season 1-1-1 but is 13-1 since, losing only to Class AAAA No. 1 Blessed Trinity 1-0 last week. The Bulldogs beat Westminster 2-1 on Friday, handing the Wildcats their only loss against a Georgia team this season.
*Worth noting: Fayette County schools McIntosh (11 state titles), Starr's Mill (six) and Whitewater (one) have won a combined 18 championships in the 26 years that the GHSA has held state tournaments for girls soccer.
*First-round matchups:
(R6 #3) Grady at (R5 #2) Cross Keys
(R8 #4) Loganville at (R7 #1) Carrollton
(R2 #3) Ware County at (R1 #2) Harris County
(R4 #4) Jones County at (R3 #1) McIntosh
(R5 #3) Arabia Mountain at (R6 #2) Riverwood
(R7 #4) Kell at (R8 #1) Flowery Branch
(R1 #3) Warner Robins at (R2 #2) South Effingham
(R3 #4) Fayette County at (R4 #1) Union Grove
(R8 #3) Johnson-Gainesville at (R7 #2) Rome
(R6 #4) North Springs at (R5 #1) at Chamblee
(R4 #3) Locust Grove at (R3 #2) Starr’s Mill
(R2 #4) Wayne County at (R1 #1) Veterans
(R7 #3) Cass at (R8 #2) Buford
(R5 #4) Southwest DeKalb at (R6 #1) Decatur
(R3 #3) Whitewater at (R4 #2) Eagle’s Landing
(R1 #4) Thomas County Central at (R2 #1) Statesboro
