GRIFFIN — The East Hall boys have not let a No. 4 seeding in the Class 4A playoffs stop them.
For the second time in a week the seventh-ranked Vikings knocked off a higher-seeded team, this time taking down Region 4-4A runner-up Spalding, 3-2, on the road.
A young East Hall squad (10-8-1) has found its groove having now won 7 of its last 10 overall. The Vikings now are just two wins from a return trip to the championship game.
Ranferi Lara-Chavez opened up the scoring in the 14th minute off a PK after David Loza was taken down in the box. Despite several good scoring chances by both teams over the final 26 minutes of the half, they went to the break with the Vikings holding a 1-0 lead.
Both offenses heated up in the second half.
Spalding scored just 5 minutes into the second half to even the score at 1-1. Three minutes later, East Hall answered on a Justin Torres goal off an assist from Amado Valladarez. Four minutes after that, Loza scored off a Torres assist to put the Vikings up 3-1 with 29 minutes remaining.
East Hall controlled the ball most of the rest of the way but Spalding connected on a long free kick to bring the score to 3-2 with a minute left. The Vikings defense held on, however, to send them to their second straight Elite 8.
East Hall next will travel to Savannah to take on No. 10 Benedictine (12-6-2) in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
UNION COUNTY BOYS 3,
WOODVILLE-TOMPKINS 2
The Panthers advanced to their first Elite 8 since making the Class 2A title match in 2019.
It was a battle of top 10 teams as sixth-ranked Union County (15-2-1) won its sixth straight match over the 10th-ranked Wolverines (11-5-1).
Union never trailed taking a 2-1 lead into the intermission. Woodville tied the match at 2 early in the second half but the Panthers reclaimed the lead and held the Wolverines scoreless the rest of the way.
Junior Wilson Walker scored twice and senior MJ Delatte had one goal for the Panthers.
Union County next will play host to Coosa, which beat Thomasville 4-3 after a wild 10-round PK session, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Also among Region 8-2A teams, the Rabun County boys fell to Toombs County 2-0 on the road on Thursday to be knocked out of the playoffs.
COLUMBUS BOYS 2,
JEFFERSON 1
In a battle of top five teams, the Jefferson boys pushed No. 1 Columbus deep into the second half before falling in a heartbreaking loss on the road in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs.
The Dragons (11-6-1) looked to have the early momentum when Columbus (17-0-1) got a red card early in the game to give Jefferson a man advantage. But the Blue Devils scored a short-handed goal to take a 1-0 lead.
It stayed that way until the second half and then Jefferson received a red card to even the field. But just like the Blue Devils, the Dragons scored after losing a man to tie the game at 1 on a Cort McCormack PK with less than 8 minutes left.
Columbus, however, kept its unbeaten streak alive, scoring two minutes later to reclaim the lead and held off several Jefferson attacks to hold on for the win.
2nd ROUND SOCCER PLAYOFF SCORES
THURSDAY, APRIL 21
Class 4A
East Hall boys 3, Spalding 2
Columbus boys 2, Jefferson 1
Class 2A
Toombs County boys 2, Rabun County 0
Union County boys 3, Woodville-Tompkins 2
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20
Class 6A
Buford girls 8, Glynn Academy 0
Richmond Hill girls 5, Habersham Central 1
Class 4A
Jefferson girls 2, Columbus 1
Class 2A
Union County girls 4, East Laurens 1
TUESDAY, APRIL 19
Class 5A
Johnson boys 3, Woodland-Stockbridge 0
Class 3A
Pike County boys 4, East Jackson 2
East Forsyth boys 2, Tattnall County 1 (1-0 PKs)
West Hall boys 3, Savannah Arts 0
MONDAY, APRIL 18
Class 5A
Jackson County girls 1, Starr's Mill 0
Class 3A
Cherokee Bluff girls 10, Appling County 0
Lumpkin County girls 3, Pierce County 0
Class A Public
Towns County girls 5, Truetlen 0
Commerce girls 14, Montgomery County 0
Class A Private
Paideia girls 4, Lakeview Academy girls 0
(Area teams listed in BOLD)
