The spring sports playoff season is in full effect for every area high school team, and this week promises a crowded and intriguing slate of contests. (See below for a complete look at the schedule.)
The first round of the postseason will get underway for soccer and baseball, with soccer's postseason beginning on Tuesday and continuing throughout the week for various classifications.
Twenty-one area programs will begin their trek through the playoffs, each looking to bring state titles to the area for the first time since the Gainesville boys last won a Class AAA crown in 2010.
Meanwhile, baseball will get its first round underway with best-of-three first round series beginning on Friday. Thirteen area teams will begin play, including five programs -- Buford, Gainesville, Jefferson, North Hall and Stephens County -- hosting first round series.
A few tennis teams will also continue their state bracket push, while a few area golf teams will continue to hone their skills in preparation for sectionals (held May 6) and state championship tournaments (held May 20) in the coming days.
Northeast Georgia's boys track standouts will also gear up for the Georgia Olympics, held Thursday-Saturday in Jefferson.
Last week's track sectionals pushed the top 16 competitors in each event from each region through to this week's finals, beginning with field and 1,600 finals on Thursday, with track preliminaries and 3,200 finals on Friday and all sprint event finals on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
AREA PREP SPORTS SCHEDULE, APRIL 29-5
Tuesday, April 30
SOCCER:
AAAAA Girls first state playoff games
Rome at Flowery Branch
Gainesville at North Paulding
AAAA Girls first state playoff games
Carrollton at Chestatee
Johnson at Alexander
Stephens County at Columbus
TENNIS:
Second round of state completed
Wednesday, May 1
SOCCER:
AAAAA Boys first state playoff games
North Paulding at Gainesville
AAAA Boys first state playoff games
LaGrange at Chestatee
Columbus at Johnson
Stephens County at Carrollton
Thursday, May 2
SOCCER:
AAA Girls first state playoff games
Decatur at Buford
Woodward Academy at Dawson County
Adairsville at Jackson County
White County at Blessed Trinity
West Hall at St. Pius
East Jackson at Lakeview, Ft. Oglethorpe
AA Girls first state playoff games
Temple at Jefferson
Union County at Manchester
Rabun County at Bremen
A Girls first state playoff games
Towns County at Fellowship Christian
TRACK:
Boys state meet in Jefferson
Friday, May 3
BASEBALL:
First round playoff series, Games 1,2
Class AAAAA
Hiram at Gainesville -- Radio: 1240 AM
Flowery Branch at East Paulding
Class AAAA
Alexander at Stephens County
Class AAA
Decatur at North Hall
St. Pius at Buford
White County at Woodward Academy -- Radio: 1350 AM, wrwh.com
Dawson County at Blessed Trinity
Jackson County at Ringgold
Class AA
Heard County at Jefferson
Bowdon at Union County
Rabun County at Jordan
Riverside Military at Bremen
Class A
Lakeview Academy at George Walton
GOLF:
The Invite at Chattahoochee Golf Club
SOCCER:
AAA Boys first state playoff games
Decatur at West Hall
Woodward Academy at North Hall
East Hall at Blessed Trinity
Dawson County at St. Pius
East Jackson at Cartersville
AA Boys first state playoff games
Bremen at Riverside Military
Jordan at Rabun County
Union County at Chattahoochee
A Boys first state playoff games
Pinecrest Academy at Lakeview
TRACK:
Boys state meet in Jefferson
Saturday, May 4
BASEBALL:
First round playoff series, Game 3 if necessary
GOLF:
The Invite at Chattahoochee Golf Club
TENNIS:
Third round of state completed
TRACK:
Boys state meet in Jefferson
The North Hall and Chestatee boys soccer teams face off earlier in the season. Both teams will compete in the state playoffs this week.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2013/4/260329