It’s state championship week for high school soccer and the long-anticipated showdowns between the No. 1 and No. 2 boys and girls teams in Class AAAAA have finally arrived.
But there won’t be state titles at stake when the top-ranked Harrison girls meet No. 2 Walton on Tuesday or the No. 1 Lassiter boys take on No. 2 Collins Hill on Wednesday. Instead, the brackets have brought these teams together in the semifinals. The girls championships are Friday and the boys finals are Saturday.
It’s no surprise that the champions will come from Gwinnett or Cobb. Those two counties have won every AAAAA boys title and all but two girls championships since the classification was created before the 2001 season. North Gwinnett’s girls and Collins Hill’s boys are the defending champions.
Here are some of the stories to watch in the other classifications:
-- AAAA: Fayette County has four teams in the semifinals – the Whitewater, Starr's Mill and McIntosh girls and the McIntosh boys. Starr's Mill swept the titles last season. McIntosh is the only team with a chance to match that feat this year, but first it must win semifinal games at home against Starr's Mill (girls) and at Glynn Academy (boys).
-- AAA: St. Pius and Woodward Academy have held the top two spots in the boys and girls rankings all season and they remain on course to meet in the championship games. St. Pius will be at home against Allatoona (girls) and Southeast Whitfield (boys), while Woodward travels to Carrollton (girls) and Cairo (boys).
-- AA: Cross Keys is making its first semifinal appearance and trying to become the third DeKalb County public school to win a boys state title since the GHSA moved away from an all-classification playoff in 1994. The Indians will face a tough hurdle on Wednesday at Westminster, which beat Cross Keys 4-1 on April 1. The top-ranked teams are the Greater Atlanta Christian boys and the Blessed Trinity girls.
-- A: The GHSA will crown state champions in the state's smallest classification for the first time this season and Paideia has a chance to sweep the titles. The boys team, ranked No. 1, has won 10 consecutive games since a 2-1 loss to Providence Christian on March 22. The No. 3-ranked Paideia girls team meets Athens Academy for a spot in the final against the winner of top-ranked Fellowship Christian and No. 2 First Presbyterian.
Semifinals
Girls
Class AAAAA
Harrison at Walton
Mill Creek at North Gwinnett
Class AAAA
Whitewater at Lambert
Starr’s Mill at McIntosh
Class AAA
Allatoona at St. Pius
Woodward Academy at Carrollton
Class AA
Westminster at GAC
Lovett at Blessed Trinity
Class A
Paideia at Athens Academy
Fellowship Christian at First Presbyterian
Boys
Class AAAAA
Collins Hill at Lassiter
Parkview at Walton
Class AAAA
McIntosh at Glynn Academy
Chattahoochee at Habersham Central
Class AAA
Southeast Whitfield at St. Pius
Woodward Academy at Cairo
Class AA
Cross Keys at Westminster
North Oconee at GAC
Class A
Providence Christian at Pace Academy
Walker at Paideia
About the Author
