The championships will be played Friday and Saturday at Denmark. Here is the schedule, per the GHSA.
Friday:
- 6 pm — 7A girls: Milton vs. West Forsyth
- 8 pm — 7A boys Lambert vs. West Forsyth
Saturday:
- 12 pm — 1A-4A girls: Wesleyan vs. Pace Academy
- 2 pm — 1A-4A boys: Westminster vs. Lovett
- 4 pm — 5A-6A girls: Roswell vs. Blessed Trinity
- 6 pm — 5A-6A boys: Allatoona vs. Roswell
Milton’s and Blessed Trinity’s girls, and Lovett and Lambert’s boys all won championships last year and are back in the championship game. West Forsyth and Roswell have shots at sweeping the boys and girls tournaments.
All championship games are rematches from earlier in the seaosn.
7A
Boys
Earlier in the season, Lambert (19-3), which won 6A-7A the previous two seasons and has four titles total, was fighting to emerge from a deep Area 4 with the No. 1 seed. They pulled it off, and here’s what Longhorns assistant John Spaide said at the time when asked about winning a third-straight title.
“We’re working toward making sure we’re playing our best lacrosse in May,” Spaide said. “That’s our only goal, and there’s not much talk about anything other than that. We realize every team will be coming after us, and we expect their best effort.”
The Longhorns, which entered the playoffs No. 2 by the AJC, edged South Forsyth 8-7 at home in the semifinals, and if they’re not playing their best by now, they’re playing well enough to win a championship. West Forsyth (20-1) is the No. 1 team, but the MaxPreps computer rankings has Lambert at 1 and West Forsyth at 2.
The Wolverines, which beat Buford 11-10 in the semifinals, beat Lambert 10-9 on March 23 in Area 4 play.
Wolverines coach John Laden said the team wasn’t talking about the postseason in a March 21 profile. Coincidentally, he was interviewed ahead of their regular season game against Lambert.
“We’re superstitious like that,” Laden said. “We take what’s in front of us. We could have a great finish to the year, but there’s seven games left before the playoffs. We take things one game at a time, and our focus right now is Lambert.”
Girls
Milton (19-2) is seeking its sixth consecutive high-class championship and enter as the No. 1 team. It has 15 total championships. Here’s what Eagles coach Tim Godby said in March about winning a 16th championship.
“We have most of our starters returning from last year’s team,” Godby said. “We’re still trying to put the pieces together, and we’ve got new players in the mix. We’ve had some who’ve been injured, and we’ve been adjusting the lineup and rotation and we’ve made a few changes. We’re not halfway through the season yet but hopefully after spring break, we’ll be tuned up and ready.
“I told the girls, we don’t want to be playing our best right now, but at the end of the season.”
The Eagles’ 17-7 win over Walton is the closest any opponent has gotten to Milton in the playoffs.
No. 5 West Forsyth (16-5), a No. 2 seed from Area 4, beat North Paulding 13-4 in the semifinals.
On March 10, Milton beat visiting West Forsyth 12-5 in area play.
5A-6A
Boys
Allatoona (15-6) continues its improbable run as an unranked champion from Area 2 to the championship game, beating Marist 16-7 in the semifinals. The Buccaneers are seeking their first state title since winning 1A-5A in 2016.
Roswell (19-3), ranked No. 2, is in the championship game after years of frustrating finishes. The Hornets are seeking a third title, and first since winning 6A, then the highest classification, back-to-back seasons in 2014 and 2015.
Roswell beat Allatoona 13-7 on Feb. 17.
Girls
While the the No. 9 Hornets (17-6) seek their first championship, top-ranked Blessed Trinity is hoping its crowned champions a third straight year after winning 1A-5A the previous two seasons.
Here’s what Titans assistant Haley Harris said when asked about a three-peat.
“Once we hit the playoffs, it’s crunch time,” Harris said. “It helps that we’ve been on the big stage before. Winning culture is ingrained. In the playoffs, it’s one game at a time, and we give it our all because we don’t know if the next game is our last.”
The Titans beat Creekview 19-8 in the semis, while Roswell edged Cambridge 8-7 to advance.
Blessed Trinity beat Roswell 16-3 on March 23.
1A-4A
Boys
No. 10 Westminster (14-7) beat top-ranked Wesleyan in the semifinals, and the Wildcats are a win away from their first state title since 2019. It would be their seventh state title, which would be the most in GHSA history. Lambert would tie that with its seventh championship win Friday.
Unranked Lovett (12-8) is seeking consecutive championships after winning 1A-5A last year. It would be the Lions’ fifth title overall. They beat Starr’s Mill 7-6 in the semifinals.
On April 5, Lovett beat Westminster on the road.
Girls
Top-ranked Pace Academy (18-1) beat Fellowship Christian 10-7 in the semis. Here’s what Knights coach Kelsea Lowe had to see in April about competing for the program’s first championship.
“Who knows what can happen in sports,” Lowe said. “Anyone can beat anyone. I’ve been a part of teams like that. It happens in March Madness all the time. This team is so special and so close, and we don’t want the season to end. We’re working as hard as we possibly can.”
The No. 10 Wesleyan Wildcats (14-4-1) are seeking their first title in program history after beating Westminster 11-10 in the semis.
On April 18, Pace Academy beat Wesleyan 18-15 on the road.
About the Author