Thomasville wins historic girls soccer state title on overtime corner kick goal
THOMASTON — Sara Sullivan knew her team was in an “all or nothing” moment right before she clinched the Class A Division I girls soccer state championship.
Sullivan lined up for a corner kick on the far side of the field with 62 seconds left in the second overtime period of a scoreless game. The Thomasville forward knew someone had to make a play before the state title was put up to chance.
“I really didn’t want to go to (penalty kicks), and I just knew it was either going to happen now or never,” Sullivan said.
Thomasville midfielder Sadie Kate Scarbrough’s corner kick ricocheted off the goalkeeper’s hands and right at Sullivan. The senior stopped the kick with her right foot, reared back and fired a shot through Model’s defense into the net.
The goal broke a 0-0 tie that lasted for 99 minutes of game action. It also gave Thomasville its first state championship, making it the first public school from South Georgia to win a girls’ soccer title.
“It just puts a lot of confidence in us,” Sullivan said. “We’ve never had this good of a season, and to go from being at the bottom to all the way at the top is a crazy experience.”
Sullivan’s goal also sealed a perfect 23-0 season for the Bulldogs, who had never made it past the quarterfinal round before this season.
It was certainly Thomasville’s toughest game of its playoff run. The Bulldogs had outscored their first four playoff opponents 26-2 and had scored at least five goals in every game.
But Model entered as a reigning state champion that had outscored its postseason opponents 26-0.
“They just wanted it,” Thomasville coach Lucas Kimmel said. “We knew after the last few games that we were capable of this, and we pushed through again and gave it everything we had for the entire 100-minute game.”
Thomasville entered the state championship as one of the last two undefeated girls’ soccer teams in the entire state. If Blessed Trinity beats Marist in the Class 4A championship on Friday, Thomasville will finish as the state’s only undefeated team.
“I’m chilled right now, and it’s not because of the ice water,” a drenched Kimmel said.
About the Author
Jack Leo is a sports writer and reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jack worked for the AJC throughout his four years studying journalism and sports media at Georgia State University and the University of Georgia. He's now focused on telling stories in the grassroots: bringing comprehensive coverage of high school sports for AJC Varsity.
