A return to normalcy – and a full field of participants -- will greet teams and fans at the Columbus Softball Complex for the GHSA State Fast Pitch Softball Tournament Thursday through Saturday. Last season, the field traveling to Columbus was halved to 32 teams because of the pandemic.
This year, the field has been expanded back to 64 teams vying for championships.
East Coweta (7A), Lassiter (6A), Jones County (5A), Heritage-Catoosa (4A), Ringgold (3A), Heard County (2A), Mount Paran (A Private) and Gordon Lee (A Public) are the defending state champions and just one – Ringgold in 3A – did not advance to defend last season’s title.
Due to weather Thursday, the schedule has been amended and is reflected in the brackets here. Follow the link to the program.
AND ANOTHER ONE…..
Two teams – Heritage-Catoosa (4A) and Gordon Lee (A Public) – each have a chance to keep consecutive state championship streaks alive. Heritage-Catoosa has won the past three titles in Class 4A while Gordon Lee has won titles in the past six years -- five-consecutive championships in A Public (2016-2020) and a 2A title in 2015.
In the first round of the state’s highest class, Mill Creek takes on Milton, North Gwinnett plays Colquitt County, Cherokee faces East Coweta and Hillgrove meets Lambert. Mill Creek is a two-time champion (2008, 2015), North Gwinnett has one title (2016) and East Coweta has three titles in the past four years (2017, 2018, 2020). Milton, Colquitt County, Hillgrove and Lambert are each searching for the program’s first title.
TEN AND COUNTING
Buford is the most storied program competing in Class 6A – winning 10 championships from 2007 to 2016 – but the Wolves have not won a title in five seasons. Cambridge will face Buford in the first round and has one title (2016) to its name. Pope, the 2019 6A champion, will play River Ridge to open the tournament. The Greyhounds also won the 6A title in 2014. River Ridge is looking for its first title. In the hunt for the program’s first championship, Dacula will face Sequoyah, which won the 5A championship in 2006. Creekview – the 2017 6A champion – will face defending-champion Lassiter -- which won the 5A title in 2007.
Defending-champion Jones County won its only title last season, and it wants another. A talented field of competitors stands in the Greyhounds’ way. Jones County opens the tournament against one-time champion Blessed Trinity (2007, 3A). Starr’s Mill and Woodland-Cartersville will meet in the first round, each entering the tournament wanting the program’s first title. Loganville will face Calhoun to open its bid for the program’s second title (2001, 3A), while Calhoun wants the team’s fifth (2013 in 2A and 2014, 2015 and 2017 in Class 3A). Chamblee has never won a state softball title and it opens its tournament against 2017 4A champion Northside-Columbus.
Heritage opens the 4A tournament against North Oconee, the 2006 2A champion. Flowery Branch is looking for its first title and will face Northwest Whitfield, which won its only titles in 2012 and 2013, in the first round. Both Cedartown and Madison County have never won a title and will open the tournament facing each other. Central-Carroll starts its bid for a second state championship (2016, 4A) against West Laurens, which has never won a state championship.
Harlem is the only team competing this season in the Class 3A tournament to have ever won a state championship (2016 in Class 2A) and the Bulldogs will face Pierce County to open the tournament. Sonoraville will face Southeast Bulloch, Jackson will play Appling County and Dawson will face Pike County in the opening round.
In Class 2A, defending and two-time champion Heard County (2014) will open its championship against Lovett, which is looking for the team’s first title. Jeff Davis nor Chattooga have ever won a title and will meet in the first round. Bremen faces Vidalia to open the tournament and each team wants their first title. Dade County is in the hunt for its third title (2004, 2012) and will open against Union County as it looks for the program’s first championship.
Gordon Lee opens against Emanuel County with hopes for a 12th overall and seventh straight championship. Emanuel County has never won a title. Social Circle won its only championship in Class 2A in 2018 and opens against Screven County with hopes for its second title. Screven has never won a title. Crawford County plays Lanier County in the first round and ACE Charter faces Telfair, each team is in the hunt for their first championship.
Mount Vernon opens its bid for the team’s first-ever title against defending Class A Private champion Mount Paran, which won the team’s first title last season. George Walton opens the tournament against Strong Rock and each team is looking for the program’s first title. Brookstone has one championship – 2003 in Class A – and faces Tattnall Square in the first round as it looks for its first title. Eagle’s Landing Christian has seven titles, and each came in streaks. The Chargers won four-straight from 2006-2009 and then three-straight from 2013-2015. ELCA takes on two-time champions Wesleyan (2017, 2018) in the first round.
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