All season, the Class AAAAAA boys rankings have been dominated by Area 3, as Johns Creek, Lambert and Centennial occupied the top three spots for the majority of the spring. The trio earned their status with repeated big victories against respected opponents both within Georgia and beyond.
But when the semifinals are played this week, no Area 3 schools will be taking part. As part of a flurry of tightly contested upsets, Johns Creek and Lambert, who both spent time as the top-ranked team in the state, were knocked out in the first round Wednesday. Centennial was then eliminated in an 18-17 overtime loss to Harrison in the second round Saturday.
Harrison, the Area 1 champ, will take on Pope in one semifinal matchup Wednesday, while Area 2 champ Roswell will face Etowah, the No. 4 seed from Area 2. Of the survivors, only fourth-ranked Roswell, the defending state champ, finished the regular season ranked in the top six.
Elsewhere, upsets have been rare.
AAAAAA girls: Milton's march toward a sixth consecutive state championship continues after the Lady Eagles breezed through the first two rounds by a combined score of 39-9. In a rematch of the 2009 state title game, they'll face Chattahoochee in Tuesday's semifinals. Milton hasn't lost a game to a Georgia team since the Lady Cougars claimed the 2009 title with a 9-7 victory. That season remains the only one since GHSA began sanctioning lacrosse in 2005 that Milton has not won a state title.
The opposite semifinal matchup features Lassiter and Walton, who finished as the No. 2 and 3 seeds, respectively, behind Milton in Area 2.
A-AAAAA boys: Lovett and Westminster remain on track for a state title showdown that has been widely expected. But while Westminster breezed through the first two rounds allowing only one goal, Lovett was pushed to the brink in the first round before escaping with a 9-7 win over Marist.
The Lions will take on Allatoona on Tuesday, while Westminster faces Area 3 champ Cambridge.
A-AAAAA girls: Areas 2 and 3 are responsible for all four teams in this semifinal, with champions Kell and Cambridge meeting on one side, and second-place finishers Westminster and Blessed Trinity on the other.
None of the four have been challenged to this point in the playoffs, Westminster’s 15-9 victory against Wesleyan in the first round the closest game among them.
Kell, the defending state champ, defeated Westminster in last season’s state championship game, snapping a string of four consecutive titles for the Lady Wildcats.
All state championship games will be played Saturday.
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