COLUMBUS — Defending eight-time state champion Buford will headline a solid group of northeast Georgia programs vying for girls state softball titles when the Elite 8 in all classifications gets under way Thursday at the Olympic Softball Complex.
The three-day tournament is a double-elimination, round-robin format with the finals slated for Saturday.
The Region 8-AAAA champion Lady Wolves are looking for their second consecutive Class AAAA title, and their ninth straight -- spanning three classifications. They will get started against Wayne County at 4:15 p.m. in a rematch of last year’s opening round game.
Buford coach Tony Wolfe said the familiarity for both teams should make for an interesting opener. The key to a state title run in Columbus is always Game 1, he said.
“It’s tough to win a title out of the loser’s bracket,” Wolfe said. “If you don’t win that first game then you’re facing six games over the next two days compared to just three if you win it. The first game is huge. It’s the key.
“We played them last year in the opening game so we know a little bit about each other. I’m sure they’ll be looking to return the favor on us.”
A win for the Lady Wolves in the opener would send them to face the North Oconee-Veterans winner at 7:45 p.m., also on Thursday. North Oconee, also from Region 8-AAAA, is the only No. 4 seed team to advance with six No. 1 seeds advancing in Class AAAA.
Worth County (Region 1-AAAA), Veterans (Region 2-AAAA), Wayne County (Region 3-AAAA), Walnut Grove (Region 4-AAAA), Heritage, Catoosa (Region 7-AAAA), and Buford (Region 8-AAAA), all come in as region champions.
“This may be the toughest eight-team field in any of the trips we’ve made to Columbus,” Wolfe said. “There will not be an easy game.”
The Lady Wolves have been beyond dominant in the playoffs over the past few years and are working on a 35-game postseason winning streak, dating back to 2012.
In most of those seasons, Buford boasted punishing lineups to go with dominant pitching, including Bria Bush and a host of other Division I-caliber hurlers. This year’s group is built behind an outstanding defense and as many as five pitchers to roam in the circle. The combination helped the Lady Wolves sweeo Thomas County Central in the second round despite scoring four total runs in a pair of shutouts.
Tennessee-commit Logan Caymol, who was injured part of the season, Kennedy Kotula, and Peyton Wolfe have gotten the bulk of the pitching assignments and Wolfe said they will need all three to be at the top of their game.
“We’re not going to pound people at the plate like we used to so we have to play solid defense. Logan, Kennedy, and Peyton are all capable of throwing outstanding games but we have to help them by not making mistakes,” Wolfe said. “We can’t walk people, we have to make smart plays on the bases and in the field, and no errors. If we do that, we have a chance.”
Despite the tough field with five of the top seven teams in Class AAAA advancing to the Elite 8, Buford got a favorable draw. The top two teams in AAAA -- Heritage, Catoosa and Walnut Grove -- will play each other in the opening round on the opposite bracket from the Lady Wolves.
“That was fortunate for us, but I’m sure they’re not real excited about that,” Wolfe said. “But that is just one game and every game will be tough. I expect that to win the title we will have to play one and perhaps both of them to get there. It should be a great tournament in AAAA. Other than Class AAAAAA, it may be the toughest overall field.”
In the other tournament fields, in Class AA, Union County, the No. 2 seed out of Region 8-AA, will take on Gordon Lee at 2:30 p.m. in the opening round. If the Lady Panthers advance they would get the Seminole County-Bryan County winner at 7:45 p.m. Social Circle, the 8-AA champion, is also in the Elite 8. Social Circle is the only Class AA team to defeat Union County in 2015.
In Class AAA, East Jackson will play Calhoun at 2:30 p.m. in the opening round. The Lady Eagles, should they advance, would take on the Franklin County-Blessed Trinity winner at 7:45 p.m. Franklin County is the Region 7-AAA champion.
