The state championship matchups are nearly set for next Saturday at the Rome Tennis Center as the GHSA state playoffs wrap up the semifinal action.
In Class AAAAAAA, Region 5 No. 3 seed South Forsyth advanced to the state finals with a 3-1 win over Region 5 No. 2 seed Lambert on Friday. The War Eagles await 11-time state champion Walton, which defeated Region 5’s top-seed Milton 3-2.
On the girls side, five-time defending champion Walton swept its way past Kennesaw Mountain, East Coweta, South Forsyth and Milton to set up a championship match against the winner of Lambert and North Gwinnett, which the Raiders swept 3-0 in last year’s finals.
In Class AAAAAA, both Region 7 champions advanced to the finals out of an all-region 7 semis on both the boys and girls brackets. The Johns Creek boys got past Centennial 4-0 and will take on No. 3 seed Dunwoody, while top-seeded Northview awaits the winner of Cambridge and Centennial on the girls side.
Defending boys Class AAAAA state champion Starr’s Mill is getting set to host Buford in the semis and the winner will take on the winner of Flowery Branch and McIntosh in the finals. The Kell girls are a win away from the first-ever state title in program history after holding off Flowery Branch 3-2 in the semis and await the winner of Chamblee and Buford.
In Class AAAA, Marist and North Oconee are facing off in both the girls and boys semis tonight. Columbus, which rolled past West Laurens 3-1 over the weekend advanced to the girls finals, and Blessed Trinity and Jefferson will faceoff tonight on the boys side to set the field.
Three-time defending Class AAA boys champion Westminster swept Brantley County 3-0 in the semis and awaits the winner of fellow Region 5 foes Pace Academy and Lovett. The Lovett girls, which earned the top seed out of Region 5 advanced to the finals with a 3-1 win over Calhoun over the weekend. Westminster will host Region 5 No. 3 seed Pace Academy tonight to determine Lovett’s opponent.
In Class AA, the Bleckley County girls are headed back to the finals and will look to defend their first-and-only state title against Berrien, which can capture their own program’s first crown with a win over the Royals next Saturday in Rome. The Bleckley County boys, which also won their first-ever state title last spring, await the winner of Benedictine and Rockmart.
The past two Class A-Public boys state champs, Irwin County (2017) and Telfair County (2016), will go head-to-head in this year’s championships, and the Taylor County and Trion girls will set the Class A-Public finals, guaranteeing a first-time state champ.
In Class A-Private, boys 2016 state champ Paideia awaits the winner of defending champion Stratford Academy vs. 12-time state champion Athens Academy. The Walker girls swept Athens Academy in the semis to return to the finals, and will take on two-time defending champion Brookstone in search of its first title since 2013.
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