OAKWOOD, Ga. — With back-to-back state titles and a trip a another state championship match over the past three seasons, it’s usually Johnson that comes in with the playoff experience.
But on Tuesday, when the No. 1-ranked Knights play host to fourth-ranked Whitewater at The Dungeon in the Class 4A soccer quarterfinals, the Wildcats will bring the experience -- and looking for some redemption as well.
It was at this very same spot in the playoffs and venue that the two teams met in 2023, with Johnson running away with a 7-1 victory behind a seasoned and veteran squad.
But after graduating five key players from that team, the current Knights (16-1-1) have just two senior starters and feature a freshman in goal. The Wildcats (15-2-1) have 11 seniors and juniors combined, most of whom certainly remember the shellacking they took at the hands of the Knights last season.
Johnson coach Frank Zamora, however, said what happened in 2023 -- good or bad -- stays there, at least as far as they’re concerned.
“Last year is already in the books. We will focus on preparing for a strong Whitewater team this year,” he said. “They are playing well and their record reflects it.”
The two teams come in Nos. 1 and 2 in wins in Class 4A. Both have allowed just 17 goals with the Wildcats holding a 92-73 advantage in goals scored on the season. In fact, the 92 goals for Whitewater leads all of Class 4A.
Johnson is coming off a 3-0 win over Druid Hills while Whitewater routed Islands 5-1 in the second round. The win for the Knights kept several streaks alive. They ran their current win streak to 12 and now have won 12 straight postseason games going back to that 2021 finals. They also have won 16 straight playoff games at The Dungeon going back to 2015.
The Wildcats have been hot as well, going 9-0-1 over their past 10 games.
But if there is one area where Johnson does have experience it’s on the back line. And with the classification’s best offense set to visit, they’ll need another stellar performance.
Miguel Duran, Josue Mendoza, Andres Galicia, and Evan Rohde have seen plenty. And despite being a freshman, keeper Benjamin Villatoro has already made several big saves in the playoffs.
“Our backline has played very well so far this season. We brought back a ton of experience and they all play hard,” Zamora said. “Miguel, Josue, Andres, and Evan are very talented and all do a good job of cleaning everything up for us. They defend well and do a great job of also getting into the attack for us.
“Benji (Villatoro) has done a great job for us in goal. He has had some huge saves this year and with him only being a freshman we are excited to have him for a few more years.”
Johnson has yielded just one goal so far in the playoffs but a young offense, which has been a work-in-progress much of the season, may have turned the proverbial corner last week. A three-goal second half, along with another six quality chances, is what they have been building toward over the second half of the season.
“The second half was as complete a half as we’ve had in a while. When they finish the opportunities they get, they see that it’s a totally different game. This group is hungry and they’re working hard every day,” Zamora said after last week’s second round win. “It’s a young group and we just need to do a better job in the final third and finishing,
“Every win in the playoffs helps us gain confidence and experience. It gives us momentum to continue to build on as every round gets harder.”
Starting tonight, they’ll find out just how much progress they have made as they ttry to keep all three streaks -- and their quest for a third consecutive state title -- alive.
