The Collins Hill boys, North Gwinnett girls and St. Pius girls are one victory apiece from defending their state soccer titles, but they are not the only familiar faces who will play on championship weekend.
Four other 2010 finalists made it back for another try this year, and 15 of the remaining 20 teams have won at least one championship since 2001.
But perhaps no team will be more comfortable in the championship environment than the Collins Hill boys, who are making their fourth consecutive appearance in the Class AAAAA final. The Eagles are trying to become the first boys team to win three consecutive championships since St. Pius in AAA from 1995-97. The last time the Eagles lost in the final was in 2008 against Walton, their opponent at 8 p.m. Saturday at Collins Hill. Walton also won state titles in 1995, 2002 and 2006.
Zak Wallingford and Dominic Bonilla, two of Collins Hill’s seven seniors, will appear in their fourth title game.
“I didn’t really know what to expect coming into this year,” Collins Hill coach Drew Prentice said. “I knew we had some really good players returning, but ultimately, I thought our success would really depend on our sophomore class. I pulled that whole class aside after tryouts and told them that they would be the key to our success.
“Quite a large challenge for such young kids, but they have really exceeded all my expectations this year.”
For North Gwinnett’s girls to defend their Class AAAAA title, they’ll have to break through against a Harrison defense that has recorded six consecutive shutouts and allowed only five goals in 22 games.
North Gwinnett (19-3), the No. 2 seed from 7-AAAAA, advanced to the final with a 3-2 victory (4-2 on penalty kicks) against region-rival Mill Creek in the semifinals. Top-ranked Harrison (20-0-2), which hosts the championship game at 7:30 p.m. Friday, has never won the girls state title.
“We’ve answered the bell 22 times now, and I don’t expect anything different on Friday,” Harrison coach Steve Riccard said after the Hoyas’ 2-0 victory against Walton in the semifinals Tuesday.
The top-ranked St. Pius girls (18-2-1), who have won two consecutive Class AAA championships, will face No. 2 Woodward Academy (14-3-2) as part of a doubleheader between the schools that begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Pius. Woodward Academy’s boys team (17-3-1), also ranked No. 2, was the AAA runner-up last season and will play No. 1 St. Pius (19-0-1) at 7:30 p.m.
The Whitewater girls and McIntosh boys finished second in the state last season, and they will try to top that feat when they play in the Class AAAA finals. Whitewater will travel to top-ranked McIntosh at 6:30 p.m. Friday for the girls championship, and McIntosh’s boys will go for a potential championship sweep when they play at No. 1 Chattahoochee at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Greater Atlanta Christian will try to sweep the Class AA titles when its second-ranked girls team travels to No. 1 Blessed Trinity at 7:30 p.m. Friday and the top-ranked boys host No. 2 Westminster at 8 p.m. Saturday. Blessed Trinity was the girls runner-up last season.
The girls teams from Paideia and First Presbyterian and the boys from Providence Christian and Walker will meet for the Class A titles. First Presbyterian, in Macon, is the only school outside metro Atlanta to reach the championship game in any classification.
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State soccer championships
Girls
AAAAA: North Gwinnett at Harrison, 7:30 p.m.
AAAA: Whitewater at McIntosh, 6:30 p.m.
AAA: Woodward Academy at St. Pius, 5:30 p.m. Saturday
AA: GAC at Blessed Trinity, 7:30 p.m.
A: Paideia at First Presbyterian, 7 p.m.
Boys
AAAAA: Walton at Collins Hill, 8 p.m.
AAAA: McIntosh at Chattahoochee, 7:30 p.m.
AAA: Woodward Academy at St. Pius, 7:30 p.m.
AA: Westminster at GAC, 8 p.m.
A: Providence Christian at Walker, 7 p.m.
Note: Girls games are Friday and boys games are Saturday, except where noted.
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