Georgia will have 10 state champions in soccer this season for the first time as a result of the GHSA’s decision to split the Class AA/A playoffs into separate AA and A brackets.
That’s good news for Class A boys teams, who have seen AA teams win the combined AA/A championship for five consecutive seasons. It’s also good news for Class AA girls teams, who won’t have to deal with a Class A Walker team that has won the past three AA/A titles.
"It definitely gives the Class A schools a better chance at winning a championship," said Providence Christian boys coach Todd Henry, whose team is ranked No. 1 in Class A in the Georgia High School Soccer Coaches poll.
“I will have to go through it to fully understand or even appreciate the split of the classifications. As far as scheduling for the year, it was not important for me to play some AA schools that we normally like to see since we would not face them in the state tournament.”
Instead, Henry chose to test his experienced squad (five seniors, seven juniors) against Class AAAAA schools, including games Friday at Parkview and Saturday at Centennial. Caleb McQuaig, Matt McGlamery, Ted Perry, Will Lowndes and Brent Hansen have scored at least six goals for Providence Christian (10-3), and every varsity player except one has at least a goal or an assist.
Even goalkeeper Evan Flowers has a goal off a punt. "It was a windy day," Henry said.
Lambert wins overseas
The Lambert boys and girls teams got their 10-day spring-break trip to England and Wales off to a successful start with victories Sunday against English club teams.
The girls won 2-0 against Meridian Ladies FC. In the boys game, Clemson signee Iain Smith scored three goals in a 4-0 victory against Welling United FC, according to the team's website. Each team will play one more game on the trip before returning home Sunday. The Longhorns return to regular-season play Wednesday against Woodland-Cartersville.
Etc.
Collins Hill's Dominic Bonilla, the AJC all-classification player of the year last season, signed recently with Akron. Bonilla scored the game-winning goal in the state semifinals and the game-winning penalty kick in the final last season to lead Collins Hill to its second consecutive Class AAAAA championship. Akron, which won the NCAA championship in December, had seven players selected -- including five of the first eight -- in this year's MLS draft. ... Georgia has nine teams ranked among the top 50 spring programs nationally in this week's ESPN poll. Lassiter leads the way at No. 4, followed by No. 6 Marist, No. 10 St. Pius, No. 12 Collins Hill, No. 26 Greater Atlanta Christian, No. 35 Lambert, No. 36 Chattahoochee, No. 42 Starr's Mill and No. 44 Walton.
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