All season, the Class AAAAAAA boys rankings have been dominated by Area 3, as Johns Creek, Lambert and Centennial occupied the top three spots for the majority of the spring. The trio earned their status with repeated big wins over respected opponents both within Georgia’s borders and beyond.
But when the semifinals are played this week, no Area 3 schools will be taking part. As part of a flurry of tightly contested upsets, Johns Creek and Lambert – who both spent time as the top-ranked team in the state – were knocked out in the first round on Wednesday. Centennial was then bumped in an 18-17 overtime loss to Harrison in the second round on Saturday.
Harrison, the Area 1 champ, will take on Pope in one semifinal matchup on Wednesday, while Area 2 champ Roswell will face Etowah, the No. 4 seed from Area 2. Of the survivors, only fourth-ranked Roswell, the defending state champ, finished the regular season ranked inside the top six.
Elsewhere, upsets have been rare. In boys Class A-AAAAA and both girls divisions the four semifinalists are the teams that finished atop the regular season rankings.
AAAAAA girls: Milton's march toward a sixth consecutive state championship continues as the Lady Eagles breezed through the first two rounds by a combined score of 39-9. In a rematch of the 2009 state championship game they'll face Chattahoochee in Tuesday's semifinals. Milton hasn't lost a game to a Georgia team since the Lady Cougars claimed the 2009 title with a 9-7 victory, and that season remains the only since GHSA began sanctioning lacrosse in 2005 that the Milton girls have not won a state title.
The opposite semifinal matchup features Lassiter and Walton, who finished as the No. 2 and 3 seeds, respectively, behind Milton in Area 2.
A-AAAAA boys: Lovett and Westminster remain on track for the state title showdown that has been widely expected. But while Westminster breezed through the first two rounds allowing only one goal, Lovett was pushed to the brink in the first round before escaping with a 9-7 win over Marist.
The Lions will take on Allatoona on Tuesday, while Westminster faces Area 3 champ Cambridge.
A-AAAAAA girls: Areas 2 and 3 are responsible for all four teams in this semifinal, with champs Kell and Cambridge meeting on one side, and second-place finishers Westminster and Blessed Trinity on the other.
None of these teams have been stiffly challenged to this point in the playoffs, with Westminster’s 15-9 win over Wesleyan in the first round qualifying as the closest game any of the four have been a part of.
Kell is the defending state champ, and its win over Westminster in last season’s state championship game snapped a string of four consecutive titles for the Lady Wildcats.
All state championship games will be played Saturday.
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Class AAAAAA boys
Wednesday
Pope at Harrison
Etowah at Roswell
Class A-AAAAA boys
Tuesday
Allatoona at Lovett
Westminster at Cambridge
Class AAAAAA girls
Tuesday
Walton at Lassiter
Milton at Chattahoochee
Class A-AAAAA girls
Wednesday
Blessed Trinity at Westminster
Kell at Cambridge
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Brent Holloway can be reached on Twitter, @thebholloway.
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