The GHSA lacrosse playoffs begin this week with the first rounds kicking off Tuesday and Wednesday.
In Class AAAAAA boys, the season has been marked by the dominance of Area 3. The league’s top three seeds enter the postseason atop the state rankings. An area tiebreaker left third-ranked Johns Creek as the No. 1 seed, second-ranked Centennial as the No. 2 seed and top-ranked Lambert at No. 3.
That makes for a tough draw for No. 8 Pope, which will host Lambert in the opening round. The Longhorns have won eight consecutive games since falling to Centennial in late March, taking attention-grabbing victories against stout competition in Georgia and out of state. Lambert’s victory against highly touted McCallie (Tenn.) on April 18 was followed with victories against Lovett (No. 2 Class A-AAAAA) and Johns Creek that forced a three-way tie in the area.
Johns Creek also enters the postseason with some momentum after taking a 10-9 victory against Westminster, the top-ranked team in A-AAAAA, on Friday.
Class AAAAAA girls: Top-ranked Milton is playing for its sixth consecutive state championship. The Lady Eagles, who haven't lost to an in-state team since 2009, defeated second-ranked Lassiter, 12-9, Tuesday in their closest call within the state this spring. Milton will host Lambert in the first round on Tuesday and will not cross paths with a ranked team until the semifinals.
Class A-AAAAA boys: All eight teams in the top half of the bracket are currently ranked, while only two of the eight in the bottom half appear in the most recent rankings. Looking ahead, that means the team that emerges from the top half will have to face a ranked team each round. Meanwhile, No. 1 Westminster and No. 4 Cambridge won't see a ranked opponent until they face each other in the semifinals, should both advance.
Class A-AAAAA girls: Area 3 champion Cambridge enters the playoffs as the top-ranked team after a dominant run through the regular season. Only five of the Lady Bears' 17 victories came by fewer than 10 goals and their only loss came by one goal against Bishop Eustace Prep (N.J.).
Third-ranked Kell is the defending state champ and the top seed from Area 2 champ after defeating No. 2 Westminster last week, 16-8, in a rematch of last season’s state title game.
Lacrosse playoff schedule
Class AAAAAA boys
All games Wednesday
Lassiter (10-8, No. 3 Area 2) at Centennial (16-2, No. 2 Area 3)
Collins Hill (9-7, No. 4 Area 4) at Harrison (14-4, No. 1 Area 1)
Lambert (16-2, No. 3 Area 3) at Pope (14-3, No. 2 Area 2)
Hillgrove (8-8, No. 4 Area 1) at North Gwinnett (15-2, No. 1 Area 4)
North Paulding (12-5, No. 3 Area 1) at Mill Creek (16-2, No. 2 Area 4)
Northview (14-4, No. 4 Area 3) at Roswell (16-2, No. 1 Area 4)
Peachtree Ridge (10-5, No. 3 Area 4) at Kennesaw Mountain (11-4, No. 2 Area 1)
Etowah (12-6, No. 4 Area 2) at Johns Creek (12-4, No. 1 Area 3)
Class A-AAAAA boys
All games Tuesday
Pace Academy (12-5, No. 3 Area 2) at Greater Atlanta Christian (12-6, No. 2 Area 3)
Marist (12-5, No. 4 Area 4) at Lovett (13-5, No. 1 Area 1)
Wesleyan (14-3, No. 3 Area 3) at Allatoona (15-3, No. 2 Area 2)
McIntosh (12-5, No. 4 Area 1) at St. Pius X (13-3, No. 1 Area 4)
Woodward Academy (7-10, No. 3 Area 1) at Benedictine (8-5, No. 2 Area 4)
Blessed Trinity (9-7, No. 4 Area 3) at Westminster (16-2, No. 1 Area 2)
Decatur (8-8, No. 3 Area 4) at Starr’s Mill (12-5, No. 2 Area 1)
Kell (13-4, No. 4 Area 2) at Cambridge (15-3, No. 1 Area 3)
Class AAAAAA girls
All games Tuesday
Walton (12-6, No. 3 Area 2) at Northview (11-5-1, No. 2 Area 3)
Grayson (10-7, No. 4 Area 4) at Harrison (12-4, No. 1 Area 1)
West Forsyth (12-4, No. 3 Area 3) at Lassiter (14-4, No. 2 Area 2)
Newnan (7-10, No. 4 Area 1) at North Gwinnett (15-2, No. 1 Area 4)
North Paulding (13-5, No. 3 Area 1) at Collins Hill (14-3, No. 2 Area 4)
Lambert (8-7, No. 4 Area 3) at Milton (14-4, No. 1 Area 2)
Mill Creek (11-4, No. 3 Area 4) at Kennesaw Mountain (12-5, No. 2 Area 1)
Pope (12-5-1, No. 4 Area 2) at Chattahoochee (14-3, No. 1 Area 3)
Class A-AAAAA girls
All games Wednesday
Creekview (15-2, No. 3 Area 2) at Blessed Trinity (15-2, No. 2 Area 3)
Union Grove (12-5, No. 4 Area 4) at McIntosh (11-7, No. 1 Area 1)
Wesleyan (9-6, No. 3 Area 3) at Westminster (16-2, No. 2 Area 2)
Starr’s Mill (7-6, No. 4 Area 1) at St. Pius X (14-3, No. 1 Area 4)
Woodward Academy (10-4, No. 3 Area 1) at Lakeside-Evans (10-1, No. 2 Area 4)
Holy Innocents’ (5-7, No. 4 Area 3) at Kell (15-3, No. 1 Area 2)
Marist (10-4, No. 3 Area 4) at Lovett (7-9, No. 2 Area 1)
Sprayberry (11-5, No. 4 Area 2) at Cambridge (17-1, No. 1 Area 3)
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