The Milton girls lacrosse team has been a fixture at the top of the state rankings since the GHSA began recognizing the sport in 2005. The Class AAAAAA Lady Eagles have won nine of the 10 state championships since then, including the last five, and are expected to compete for another title this spring.
Milton (3-0) sits at the top of the Class AAAAAA rankings and was ranked as the No. 1 team in the South and No. 5 in the nation in LaxMagazine.com’s preseason rankings. The Lady Eagles have done nothing to endanger their status since. They opened the season with a 15-9 win over Walton, the Lady Eagles’ opponent in last year’s title game, and have won their last two games by a combined total of 43-2.
The competition is about to get tougher, though. Coach Tim Godby, who has been at Milton throughout the Lady Eagles’ ascension to national powerhouse, makes a point of scheduling what he calls “one of the toughest schedules in the country,” including games with six teams ranked in the top 25 nationally.
After a date with Cherokee on Wednesday, Milton will host McDonogh (Md.), the No. 1 team in the country, on Friday, followed by Vero Beach (Fla.), the No. 2 team in the South, on Saturday.
“We can’t have a complacent attitude,” Godby said. “We can’t think we’re just going to breeze in. We’re going to have to continue to get better, because our schedule won’t allow us to relax.”
The Lady Eagles, whose roster features 15 girls already committed to Division-I schools, are led by leading scorer Jessi Masinko, goalkeeper Shahpar Mirza and midfielder Hannah Davis. Masinko, a junior, is committed to Notre Dame. Mirza and Davis, both seniors, are committed to Stanford and Vanderbilt, respectively.
Aside from nationally ranked competition coming from outside the state, Godby said he expects a battle within Area 2-AAAAAA. Walton is ranked No. 3 in Class AAAAAA, and fellow area competitor Lassiter is at No. 4.
“We know Walton is going to get better, so we have to continue to get better, too,” Godby said. “We know all the kids pretty well in that program; the girls play on travel teams together in the summer, and Walton is loaded with offensive weapons.
“And Lassiter is always strong,” Godby added. “I haven’t had a chance to see them play this year, and we won’t play them until late in the season, so we’re not really focused on that right now, but we know they’ll be tough.”
Boys LAX roundup
Lovett looks ready to make a push for a Class A-AAAAA title after falling in the state championship game last season, 9-8, to Northview. The Lions, who are ranked No. 1 in Class A-AAAAA currently, won three of the first five state titles between 2005-2009, but haven't claimed a state championship since. They're off to a strong start this season, highlighted by a 12-11 over John's Creek in the season opener. Lovett's only loss game against Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), which began the season ranked No.1 in the country.
Meanwhile, John’s Creek (6-1) is ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAA, and has been dominant in every game since the loss to Lovett, including a 16-5 win over defending AAAAAA champ Roswell on Wednesday.
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