The Oconee County girls soccer team won the first state championship in school history last season, and the Warriors appear to be in prime position for another long postseason run as the regular season comes to a close.
The Warriors, under first-year coach Judson Hamby, are 12-1-4 after a 1-1 tie against Class 5A No. 10 Loganville on Tuesday night. Kate Walker scored a late goal for the Warriors off an assist by Caroline Gaines. Oconee County is ranked No. 1 in Class 3A by the AJC and MaxPreps.
Oconee County, the Region 8-3A champion, will begin the playoffs at home Tuesday against the fourth-seeded team from Region 5.
Oconee County has prepared for the postseason with a schedule that’s ranked by MaxPreps as the toughest in Class 3A. Nine of its 17 games played so far have come against higher-classification teams, and the Warriors were 4-1-4 in those games, including a 1-0 loss to Class 5A No. 1 Jefferson, a 2-0 victory over Class 4A No. 4 Cherokee Bluff and a 1-1 tie against Class 4A No. 7 North Oconee.
The Warriors, who also won two games against out-of-state opponents, will complete the regular season Thursday night against Class 7A Mountain View.
“We have a really good mix of experienced seniors and juniors, with talented, hungry freshmen and sophomores,” Hamby said. “We really felt like we needed a tough non-region schedule to help the group find out about themselves and to help heading into the postseason. They are doing a great job finding different ways to compete and win games, and I’m so proud of them for that. They are great character kids that work their socks off all the time.”
The Warriors were 5-0 in winning the Region 8-3A championship, outscoring Franklin County, Hart County, Hebron Christian, Monroe Area and Stephens County by a combined 31-0.
Oconee County has been led this season by three seniors who will play in college next season.
Goalkeeper and team captain Ella Hayes, who signed with Georgia College and State University, has recorded eight shutouts and is described by Hamby as the “vocal leader that pushes the team.” Captain and midfielder Kylie Wilson (signed with Lander) has scored 15 goals and added five assists. Defender Tristan Hunt (signed with Piedmont) has three goals and two assists and has played a big role in the eight shutouts.
Hamby came to Oconee County after working one season at Athens Academy, where he took the Spartans to the Class 2A final. He made a name for himself at Parkview, where he was the girls head coach from 2007 to 2022 and led the Panthers to five of the school’s nine state championships.
Hamby got a close-up look at his old team when Oconee County played Parkview on March 28, just before spring break. The teams tied 1-1.
“We tied Parkview in a tough game,” Hamby said. “It was definitely weird coaching against all my former Parkview players. I’m proud of the current Parkview group. Those seniors who I have coached with club sixth through eighth grade and Parkview before I left are going to great colleges.”
Tournament schedule
Here is the schedule for the five rounds of the girls soccer playoffs:
April 16 - First round (Classes 7A, 5A, 3A and A)
April 18 - First round (Classes 6A, 4A and 2A)
April 23 - Second round (Classes 7A, 5A, 3A and A)
April 25 - Second round (Classes 6A, 4A and 2A)
April 29-30 - Quarterfinals
May 2-3 - Semifinals
May 7-10 - Championships (at Mercer University, McEachern High School and Duluth High School)
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