Starr’s Mill lost to its local rival McIntosh 3-2 in the 5A state championship game at Mercer University in May of 2019 and last year the Panthers were dead set on another deep run into the playoffs and a chance at the program’s first state title since 2010.
All of that changed when the COVID-19 pandemic shut the sports world down in March of 2020 and the high school soccer, baseball and lacrosse seasons went with it.
With the return of the GHSA soccer playoffs, eight programs are back looking to defend their 2019 championships – Lambert (7A), Dalton (6A), McIntosh (5A), Oconee County (4A), Westminster (3A), Thomasville (2A), Georgia Military (A Public) and Wesleyan (A Private).
However, some of the players on those championship teams are nearing the end of their sophomore seasons in college, and freshman on that same championship team are now nearing their junior seasons. Missed opportunities due to a cancelled season last year are ever-present across all classes and for teams across the state, this year’s playoffs are special.
But it begs the question.
Are the defending champions still the defending champions?
Technically, yes. But so much has changed from the teams that won titles two years ago, it is worth the thought? Does the title “defending champion” still hold the same weight as it would if the teams played last season?
“Well, in our situation I think it does,” said Starr’s Mill head coach Aaron Buck, whose team beat Drew 10-0 in the first round Tuesday. “The last team to win the state title in 5A was McIntosh and the team they beat in the final was us. A lot of our players were sophomores in that game.”
The experience and lesson from the loss have been paramount for the Panthers – and there are likely similar situations for other teams around the state in varying capacities.
“They have had to sit around, and the last soccer memory they have through the entire COVID year was losing the state championship game to McIntosh,” Buck said. “So it has created a bit of anxiety, but there is also a lot of good energy going into the playoffs this year because everyone has had to wait so long to get back at it.”
And on Wednesday, teams across the state will be back at it. Some programs – including the Panthers and the Chiefs -- began their trek Tuesday. Starr’s Mill awaits the winner of the Coffee/Union Grove match after beating Drew 10-0. McIntosh defeated Jonesboro 10-0 and awaits Wayne County or Locust Grove in the second round.
Other teams that played Tuesday: In Class 7A, Parkview beat Lowndes 6-0 and awaits the North Paulding/Campbell winner. In Class 3A, Savannah Arts defeated Americus-Sumter 12-2 and awaits the winner of Harlem/Long County, and Pierce County beat Thomson 10-0. Pierce awaits the winner of Jackson/Windsor Forest. Pike County beat Liberty County 10-0 and awaits the Tattnall County/Richmond Academy winner. In Class A Public, Armuchee beat Crawford County 10-0 and will play Towns County after its first-round bye.
Teams trying for more than one title in a row: Lambert has won two consecutive titles in the state’s highest class and is trying for a third. Westminster has won the last three 3A championships and is trying for a fourth in a row. The Wildcats have 14 total state titles.
Follow the links to the BOYS and GIRLS brackets and follow along on the PREP SCOREBOARD powered by Score Atlanta.
First-round schedule
7A (Today)
R4 #3 Brookwood at R1 #2 Camden County
R2 #4 Newnan at R3 #1 Walton
R6 #3 Lambert at R7 #2 Berkmar
R8 #4 Peachtree Ridge at R5 #1 Alpharetta
R7 #3 Duluth at R6 #2 Denmark
R5 #4 Roswell at R8 #1 North Gwinnett
R4 #2 Parkview 6, R1 #3 Lowndes 0
R3 #4 North Paulding at R2 #1 Campbell
R8 #3 Mountain View at R5 #2 Cherokee
R6 #4 South Forsyth at R7 #1 Discovery
R2 #3 East Coweta at R3 #2 Harrison
R4 #4 Grayson at R1 #1 Tift County
R3 #3 Hillgrove at R2 #2 Pebblebrook
R1 #4 Colquitt County at R4 #1 South Gwinnett
R5 #3 Milton at R8 #2 Collins Hill
R7 #4 Dunwoody at R6 #1 Forsyth Central
6A (Friday)
R4 #3 Tucker at R1 #2 Lee County
R2 #4 Richmond Hill at R3 #1 Lakeside-Evans
R6 #3 Sprayberry at R7 #2 Riverwood
R8 #4 Winder-Barrow at R5 #1 Dalton
R7 #3 River Ridge at R6 #2 Lassiter
R5 #4 East Paulding at R8 #1 Central Gwinnett
R1 #3 Houston County at R4 #2 Lakeside-DeKalb
R3 #4 Grovetown at R2 #1 Glynn Academy
R8 #3 Habersham Central at R5 #2 Rome
R6 #4 Pope at R7 #1 Johns Creek
R2 #3 South Effingham at R3 #2 Heritage-Conyers
R4 #4 Morrow at R1 #1 Valdosta
R3 #3 Rockdale County at R2 #2 Brunswick
R1 #4 Northside-Warner Robins at R4 #1 North Atlanta
R5 #3 Carrollton at R8 #2 Lanier
R7 #4 Chattahoochee at R6 #1 Allatoona
5A (Today)
R4 #3 Woodland-Stockbridge at R1 #2 Ware County
R2 #4 Northgate at R3 #1 Woodward Academy
R6 #3 Villa Rica at R7 #2 Cartersville
R8 #4 Loganville at R5 #1 St. Pius X
R7 #3 Cass at R6 #2 Grady
R5 #4 Northview at R8 #1 Johnson-Gainesville
R1 #3 Coffee at R4 #2 Union Grove
R2 #1 Starr’s Mill 10, R3 #4 Drew 0
R8 #3 Apalachee at R5 #2 Decatur
R6 #4 Chapel Hill at R7 #1 Blessed Trinity
R2 #3 Whitewater at R3 #2 Tri-Cities
R4 #4 Ola at R1 #1 Veterans
R2 #2 McIntosh 10, R3 #3 Jonesboro 0
R1 #4 Wayne County at R4 #1 Locust Grove
R5 #3 Cross Keys at R8 #2 Clarke Central
R7#4 Woodland-Cartersville at R6 #1 North Springs
4A (Friday)
R4 #3 Perry at R1 #2 Cairo
R2 #4 Hardaway at R3 #1 Islands
R6 #3 Mays at R7 #2 Northwest Whitfield
R8 #4 Flowery Branch at R5 #1 Luella
R7 #3 Pickens at R6 #2 Druid Hills
R5 #4 Hampton at R8 #1 East Hall
R1 #3 Bainbridge at R4 #2 Spalding
R2 #1 LaGrange at BYE
R8 #3 Chestatee at R5 #2 Fayette County
R6 #4 Arabia Mountain at R7 #1 Southeast Whitfield
R2 #3 Troup County at R3 #2 Benedictine
R4 #4 Baldwin at R1 #1 Thomas County Central
R3 #3 New Hampstead at R2 #2 Columbus
R1 #4 Dougherty at R4 #1 West Laurens
R5 #3 Mt. Zion-Jonesboro at R8 #2 Jefferson
R7 #4 Heritage-Catoosa at R6 #1 Marist
3A (Today)
R4 #3 Harlem at R1 #2 Long County
R3 #1 Savannah Arts 12, R2 #4 Americus Sumter 2
R6 #3 LaFayette at R7 #2 Cherokee Bluff
R8 #4 Monroe Area at R5 #1 Westminster
R7 #3 West Hall at R6 #2 North Murray
R5 #4 Cedar Grove at R8 #1 Oconee County
R1 #3 Tattnall County at R4 #2 Richmond Academy
R2 #1 Pike County 10, R3 #4 Liberty County 0
R8 #3 Franklin County at R5 #2 Greater Atlanta Christian
R6 #4 Murray County at R7 #1 White County
R2 #3 Jackson at R3 #2 Windsor Forest
R1 #1 Pierce County 10, R4 #4 Thomson 0
R3 #3 Southeast Bulloch at R2 #2 Peach County
R1 #4 Appling County at R4 #1 Morgan County
R5 #3 Sandy Creek at R8 #2 East Jackson
R7 #4 Gilmer at R6 #1 Coahulla Creek
2A (Friday)
R4 #3 Oglethorpe County at R1 #2 Fitzgerald
R2 #4 Vidalia at R3 #1 Lamar County
R6 #3 Elite Scholars Academy at R7 #2 Model
R8 #4 Rabun County at R5 #1 Bremen
R7 #3 Coosa at R6 #2 Lovett
R5 #4 Haralson County at R8 #1 Union County
R1 #3 Cook at R4 #2 Jefferson County
R3 #4 Dodge County at R2 #1 Bacon County
R8 #3 Elbert County at R5 #2 Temple
R6 #4 Therrell at R7 #1 Gordon Central
R2 #3 Jeff Davis at R3 #2 Jasper County Monticello
R4 #4 Johnson-Augusta at R1 #1 Thomasville
R3 #3 Washington County at R2 #2 Toombs County
R1 #4 Worth County at R4 #1 Putnam County
R5 #3 Callaway at R8 #2 Riverside Military
R7 #4 Fannin County at R6 #1 Pace Academy
A Public (Today)
R4 #3 Montgomery County at BYE
R2 #4 Irwin County at R3 #1 Claxton
R6 #3 Mt. Zion-Carroll at R7 #2 Georgia Military
R8 #4 Commerce at R5 #1 Chattahoochee County
R6 #2 Armuchee 10,, R7 #3 Crawford County 0
R8 #1 Towns County at BYE
R4 #2 Dublin at BYE
R3 #4 Bryan County at R2 #1 Atkinson County
R8 #3 Social Circle at R5 #2 Macon County
R6 #4 Morris Innovative at R7 #1 ACE Charter
R2 #3 Brooks County at R3 #2 Portal
R1 #1 BYE at R4 #4 BYE
R3 #3 Metter at R2 #2 Echols County
R4 #1 Dooly County at BYE
R8 #2 Lake Oconee Academy at BYE
R6 #1 Trion at BYE
A Private (Today)
R4 #3 Trinity Christian at R1 #2 Stratford Academy
R2 #4 Our Lady of Mercy at R3 #1 Savannah Country Day
R6 #3 Lakeview Academy at R7 #2 Mt. Paran Christian
R8 #4 Prince Avenue Christian at R5 #1 Atlanta International
R7 #3 Darlington at R6 #2 Fellowship Christian
R5 #4 Holy Innocents’ at R8 #1 Athens Academy
R1 #3 Mt. de Sales at R4 #2 Heritage-Newnan
R3 #4 Aquinas at R2 #1 Whitefield Academy
R8 #3 Tallulah Falls at R5 #2 Wesleyan
R6 #4 St. Francis at R7 #1 Walker
R2 #3 Landmark Christian at R3 #2 Calvary Day
R4 #4 Brookstone at R1 #1 First Presbyterian
R3 #3 Savannah Christian at R2 #2 Paideia
R1 #4 Tattnall Square at R4 #1 St. Anne-Pacelli
R5 #3 Providence Christian at R8 #2 George Walton
R7 #4 Christian Heritage at R6 #1 Pinecrest Academy
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