OAKWOOD — So when last we saw soccer balls flying through the air and into the net, the Johnson boys were ranked No. 1 in the country (United Soccer Coaches poll) and No. 1 in Class 5A, and rolling to an impressive 8-0 start in 2020. They were one of several highly-ranked teams, according to Eurosports.com, in the northeast Georgia area at the time.
The Buford girls also were ranked No. 1 in Class 5A. The Gainesville boys were fourth in Class 6A and the Lady Red Elephants were sixth. The Flowery Branch girls were sixth and the White County girls eighth in Class 4A. The Chestatee boys were eighth in Class 4A.
In Class 3A, the Jefferson girls were third, the Jackson County girls fourth, and Lumpkin County girls eighth. The Jefferson boys were sixth. The Union County boys were sixth in Class 2A.
Then, as we all remember, COVID-19 forced the season, along with the rest of high school sports, to shut down. The coronavirus is still around, but the Georgia High School Association was able to complete the softball, volleyball, and football seasons in the fall. Wrestling is winding down its full season, and basketball is nearing region tournament time as well. Spring sports, which were canceled in midseason last year, seem destined to be able to go to completion this time around.
But those aren't the only changes. Reclassification hit the 2021 season, as expected, with Gainesville, Buford, East Hall and Jefferson all moving up a classification, Jackson County moving up two classifications and West Hall moving down one.
But now all of that is in the rearview mirror as the 2021 soccer season has finally arrived. Nearly half of the teams in the AccessWDUN coverage area will open their seasons on Tuesday, including the Johnson boys, who play host to Class 6A Lanier at The Dungeon.
(Check below for the complete schedule for Tuesday.)
The Johnson boys lost nearly half of their roster from a year ago but still, return plenty of talent as they will look to get off to another fast start. Senior Eliam Chavez and junior Angel Sagrero have emerged as leaders, according to Johnson boys coach Frank Zamora. He also said they are ready to put the disappointment of last year behind them.
“(Last year) was a big disappointment for everyone not to be able to finish such a promising season,” Zamora said. “However, we try not to think about it too much. Our boys understand there is nothing we can do about last season.
“We have 11 returning out of the 20 on our roster from last season. We are just focused on making the best out of this new opportunity we have to play.”
And speaking of playing, Zamora said his Knights, and probably everyone else around the state, are more than ready to get back out on the pitch.
“There are no words to describe the feeling of being able to get back out on the field,” he said. “It’s a combination of excitement and appreciation. We are thankful we get to be back on the field with our teammates.”
Class 5A will once again be one of the powerhouse divisions in the GHSA. Five of the eight 5A quarterfinalists from 2019, including Johnson, are still in 5A but it has added a pair of Class 4A quarterfinalists in Blessed Trinity and Woodward Academy to make it perhaps the deepest of the seven GHSA classifications.
Region 8-5A will be plenty competitive as well with playoff teams Apalachee and Greenbrier both moving down from Class 6A.
“This year our region will be very competitive,” Zamora said. “And Class 5A includes some of the best teams in the state regardless of classification. There are so many state championship-caliber teams that have been there and won titles before. We know the march to (hopefully) a state championship will be a challenging one.”
AREA SOCCER SCHEDULE FOR Tuesday, Feb. 2
(Games listed by highest classification)
(Games begin at 5:30 p.m. with girls unless otherwise noted)
REGION 6-7A
Winder-Barrow at Gainesville
REGION 8-6A
Apalachee at Buford
REGION 8-5A
Lanier at Johnson
Lakeview Academy at Jackson County
REGION 8-4A
Dawson County at Chestatee
Forsyth Central at Flowery Branch
Jefferson at White County
REGION 8-3A
East Jackson at Oconee County*
REGION 7-3A
Cherokee Bluff at Hebron Christian
Dawson County at Chestatee
Jefferson at White County, 5:55 p.m.
REGION 8-2A
Union County at Elbert County, 6:30 p.m.*
REGION 8-A PUBLIC
Towns County at Washington-Wilkes, 6 p.m.*
Lincoln County at Commerce (boys only), 6:30 p.m.*
REGION 6-A PRIVATE
Lakeview Academy at Jackson County
