A dozen northeast Georgia area boys soccer teams advanced to the second round of the Georgia High School Association playoffs spanning five classifications. All four Region 8-4A teams moved on sweeping out Region 5-4A.
Second round action is spread from Tuesday to Thursday with five teams playing host in the Sweet 16.
The 2018 Class 5A state champion Johnson boys, who won a tough Region 8-5A, advanced as they look for a second title in three seasons. Region 8-4A champion East Hall is looking to continue a recent trend of making runs in the playoffs. Both will be at home.
The best match of the second round in any classification, however, may be in Tunnel Hill where Class 4A No. 5 Flowery Branch travels to to take on No. 2 Northwest Whitfield in a battle that could leave the winner with an inside track to the state finals.
We asked the coach of each program how they felt their team was playing going into the Sweet 16 round and what were the keys to moving on.
(Listed in alphabetical order by team respondants. Also, check below for the entire second round schedule for area boys)
Cherokee Bluff’s Heath Padgett
Coming off their first-ever postseason win, a 6-1 win over LaFayette, the Class 3A eighth-ranked Bears (8-8-1) take on No. 1 Westminster (11-2-4) in Atlanta on Tuesday.
“To be honest, we have struggled with consistency and it has been difficult for us to find energy to play 80 minutes towards the end of the season. We drew a first round game that helped us gain confidence putting the ball in the net.
“The second round is going to be our toughest test yet. To win this game we understand that we have to be at our best for 80 minutes. We have to bring more energy than them and we have to go get every loose ball. Every person has to do their job and have the back of the other guys on the pitch. If we do those things I believe this game will get our guys the respect and attention I think they deserve.
“Westminster is No. 1 for a reason. We will have to fight every second.”
Chestatee’s Mike Herrin
A young War Eagles (11-6) team has found its stride over the final third of the season. They took down Fayette County on the road, 3-0, in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs -- their fourth straight road win -- and have won five of their last six overall.
Defense has been the key. The War Eagles are 11-1 when allowing one goal or less but are 1-5 when allowing more than one goal. They have a supreme challenge in the second round with the top-ranked team in Class 4A, Southeast Whitfield (13-0-3), which has allowed just 10 goals on the season.
But Chestatee has played one of the toughest schedules in the area in preparation.
“We played a very difficult schedule this year. Eleven of our opponents are or were ranked in their respective classes when we played them; four of the top ten in Class 4A are from our own region (8-4A), and one more has been sitting just outside all season.
“When considering that many of our players are ‘young’ in terms of varsity experience, it’s really encouraging knowing the potential these kids have. I’m looking forward to seeing what they will accomplish not just this season, but in the ones to come. For us to continue to move forward in the tournament, we need to play well in all three areas on the field, stay focused, and take advantage of the chances we get when they appear.”
East Hall’s Mark Wade
The Vikings (12-4-1) won a tough Region 8-4A despite a 2-3 stint down the stretch. All four of their losses were by one goal each. But they broke out in a big way in the opening round with a 10-0 win over Hampton.
Now, they are looking for their first Elite 8 appearance since 2018 and get a Druid Hills team (9-9-1) that is just 4-4-1 following a four-match win streak.
“I feel we are playing pretty well right now. We have been trying to work on our weaknesses at practice and are now preparing for a tough matchup. For us to move on, we will need our absolute best effort. We cannot get away with a slow start or any big mistakes during the match.”
Flowery Branch’s Sean Garnett
The Falcons (15-2-2) have been ranked in the top five all season and are coming off an impressive 8-1 rout of Region 5-4A champion Luella on the road. They may be the best No. 4 seed in the state in any classification and were part of a Region 8-4A sweep into the second round last week.
Their second round road showdown with No. 2 Northwest Whitfield (10-2) may be one of the premier matchups in the entire state in the second round
“The boys are extremely hard workers and are doing a great job of creating chances. The Sweet 16 matchup will be very difficult. Execution will be key to moving on."
Johnson’s Frank Zamora
Since a 1-2-1 start to the season, the Class 5A third-ranked Knights (13-4-1) have won 12 of 14 matches, including a solid 4-2 win over Northview in the first round. They draw a Cass team (12-6) that has won 5 of 6 after a 3-2 win over Grady on the road.
Johnson is used to deep runs having advanced to the quarterfinals or better four of the last five postseasons (not counting 2020), three semifinals, and two championship matches, including capturing the 2018 Class 5AA title.
“I feel like we are playing well right now. Things are clicking and we are back to playing what we like to call ‘Johnson Soccer’, our style in which we keep possession and create many scoring opportunities.
“We had a good showing in the first round but I believe we’ve yet to reach our full potential. I’m hoping we can use the momentum from a solid performance in the first round and continue to build upon it.
“I believe the key to moving on is for us to continue working hard on and off the pitch, to give 110 percent every day in everything we do. That’s the mentality we need to have in order to be where we want to be. If we can continue to play as one, clean up the simple mistakes, and execute in the final third, we will have a real chance.”
White County’s Jon Leventhal
The Warriors (12-4) won a very tough Region 7-3A and are coming off a 6-1 win over Murray County in the first round of the Class3A tournament. They take on a Greater Atlanta Christian squad (6-8-1) that has found a spark at the end of the season winning four straight, including a 10-0 victory over Franklin County in the first round.
Offense has been White County’s game. The Warriors have averaged 4.25 goals a game and are 12-2 this season when scoring two or more goals. White County forward Hayden Gensler has been near unstoppable, setting a school record in goals in a season with 38 goals, including three vs. Murray County.
“We are playing really well right now and our players are starting to improve tactically. We have been focusing on our fitness during practice as we have started to face some quicker opponents these past few games.
"The key for us is, we must stay healthy, keep our composure on the field after mistakes, and just keep playing with high intensity like we've been doing all season. We have a dedicated group of talented athletes and coaches on the team and I'm excited to see how far we can go.”
SECOND ROUND BOYS SOCCER SCHEDULE
(Games listed by date and classification, highest to smallest)
(Games listed by visiting team in alphabetical order)
(Area teams highlighted in bold)
Tuesday, April 27
CLASS 5A
Cass boys (R7, S3) at Johnson (R8, S1), 7 p.m.
CLASS 3A
Cherokee Bluff boys (R7, S2) at Westminster (R5, S1), 7:45 p.m.
Greater Atlanta Christian boys (R5, S2) at White County (R7, S1), 7 p.m.
CLASS A PUBLIC
Armuchee boys (R6, S2) at Towns County (R8, S1), 5 p.m.
Commerce boys (R8, S4) at Georgia Military (R7, S2), 5 p.m.
Wednesday, April 28
CLASS 6A
Habersham Central boys (R8, S3) at Johns Creek (R7, S1), 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 29
CLASS 4A
Chestatee boys (R8, S3) at Southeast Whitfield (R7, S1), 6 p.m.
Flowery Branch boys (R8, S4) at Northwest Whitfield (R7, S2), 6 p.m.
Druid Hills boys (R6, S2) at East Hall (R8, S1), 7:30 p.m.
Jefferson boys (R8, S2) at Marist (R6, S1), 7 p.m.
CLASS 2A
Lovett boys (R6, S2) at Union County (R8, S1), 6 p.m.
Riverside Military boys (R8, S2) at Pace Academy (R6, S1), TBD
