Girls soccer playoffs: Bluff moves on; GHS, Hab Central, Jackson Co., East Jackson all fall in 2nd round

Cherokee Bluff showed they are more than just sensational freshman Bristol Kersh.

The Class 4A No. 5 Lady Bears held off Southeast Whitfield 2-0 in the second round of the Georgia High School Association playoffs at Yonah Field on Thursday without having the services of Kersh.

Carson DeMars gave Bluff a 1-0 in the first half off a nice pass from Layne Hammond. It went to the half that way until Ashley Scott scored on an assist by Genesis Gamez for a 2-0 lead.

Keeper Emily Benjamin made it stand up with five saves in goal.

Cherokee Bluff (16-4) next will play host to Whitewater (14-4) out of Region 4-4A on Monday for a shot at the Final Four.

But it was a rough evening for the rest of the northeast Georgia area teams.

Region 8-6A was swept out of the playoffs by a trio of ranked teams. Region champion Habersham Central was swept by No. 3-ranked Roswell 3-1 at home. Meanwhile, No. 2 seed Jackson County fell 3-0 to No. 2-ranked Pope, and Gainesville lost 3-0 to No. 6 Johns Creek 3-0, both on the road.

And East Jackson was eliminated 2-0 by No. 4 Mount Paran in Class 2A.

(See the entire schedule for Tuesday and Thursday's second-round playoff games below.)