OAKWOOD — Over the last half-decade, the Northeast Georgia area has inserted itself as a hotbed of soccer talent in Georgia.
Both the East Hall and Johnson boys played for state titles in 2021. The Knights won the 5A crown in 2018. The Union County boys played for the Class 2A title in 2019.
Counting the Vikings and Knights, seven teams in 2021 made it to the Elite 8 or better in the Georgia High School Association playoffs. Both the Towns County boys and girls advanced to the Class A Public semifinals while the Buford girls made the Final Four in Class 6A. The Jefferson boys made the quarterfinals in Class 4A while the North Hall girls did the same in Class 3A.
The Johnson boys now are helping to put the area in the national spotlight.
The Knights are ranked No. 2 in the country in the latest United Soccer Coaches High School Rankings poll, which released its first poll last week. The USCHS poll is the most respected, and considered accurate, poll in the nation and is conducted by coaches.
Johnson is one of four Georgia teams ranked in the initial USCHS Top 10 and sits behind only Class 7A Harrison out of Kennesaw. The Knights recently knocked off Dalton (5-4 at The Dungeon) which sits 10th in the current nationwide rankings.
But it’s not the first time the Knights have been acknowledged on the national stage. In 2020, just as the season was getting heated up, the USCHS poll had them ranked No. 1 in the country. A week later the season was canceled because of COVID.
Johnson coach Frank Zamora said this time they hope to see if things close out on a more positive note.
“(The 2020 team) was a special group with eight seniors and it was a very strong, attack-oriented team. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see what they could do,” Zamora said. “This year’s team is much younger with only three seniors starting and we’re more defensive-minded. They are an outstanding defensive group.
“The kids this year are starting to believe that they can be a special group. They’re really working hard. The Dalton win just helped us so much with our confidence. We’re excited about trying to finish the year out strong.”
However, in the statewide EuroSports rankings, also done by coaches, they are one of nearly a dozen area teams ranked in the Top 10 across the eight GHSA classifications.
The Knights are ranked No. 1 in Class 5A while the Buford girls sit atop the Class 6A rankings with two weeks left in the regular season. The Commerce girls and Towns County girls are ranked second and third in Class A Public, respectively, and the Lumpkin County girls are third in Class 3A.
Class 4A has the Flowery Branch boys fourth, the Jefferson girls third, and the Jefferson boys fifth. Also in Class 3A, the Cherokee Bluff girls are fourth, the White County girls fifth, the Lumpkin County girls fifth, and the West Hall boys fourth.
The Union County boys are perched in sixth in Class 2A.
After falling to McIntosh in last's year finals (2-1) Zamora said they are hoping to get that one more win than in 2021. The Chiefs finished the season ranked No. 1 in the nation following their state title win.
"That was a tough loss but we showed that we can play with anyone," Zamora said. "The expectations this year are high again but it's also a pride thing for the kids and the community. Our goal is to try and get back to the finals and get one more win."
(Check below for the week's schedules around the Northeast Georgia area.)
SOCCER SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF March 21 to March 26
MONDAY'S SOCCER SCHEDULE March 21
(All matches begin at 5:30 p.m. with girls unless otherwise noted)
Barrow Arts And Science Academy at Towns County*
Fellowship Christian at Lakeview Academy, 5 p.m.*
TUESDAY'S SOCCER SCHEDULE March 22
(All matches begin at 5:30 p.m. with girls unless otherwise noted)
Apalachee at Johnson*
Banks County at Rabun County*
Cedar Shoals at East Hall*
Chestatee at Cherokee Bluff
Dawson County at Gilmer*
East Forsyth at Lumpkin County*
East Jackson at Madison County
Habersham Central at Buford*
Lakeview Academy at King’s Ridge, 5 p.m.*
Washington-Wilkes at Commerce*
West Hall at North Hall*
White County at Jackson County
Woodstock at North Forsyth
Banks County at Madison County
WEDNESDAY'S SOCCER SCHEDULE March 23
(All matches begin at 5:30 p.m. with girls unless otherwise noted)
Commerce at Towns County, 5 p.m.*
Jefferson at Flowery Branch*
Mays at Jackson County (boys only), 6 p.m.
West Hall at Cherokee Bluff*
THURSDAY'S SOCCER SCHEDULE March 24
(All matches begin at 5:30 p.m. with girls unless otherwise noted)
Walnut Grove at Flowery Branch
FRIDAY'S SOCCER SCHEDULE March 25
(All matches begin at 5:30 p.m. with girls unless otherwise noted)
Apalachee at Jackson County
Buford at Dacula*
Chestatee at Madison County*
Commerce at Lincoln County*
East Forsyth at Wesleyan
East Hall at Dawson County
Gainesville at Forsyth Central*
Greene County at Towns County*
Jefferson at North Oconee*
Johnson at Eastside, 6 p.m.*
Lakeview Academy at St. Francis, 5 p.m.*
Lumpkin County at Dawson County*
North Forsyth at South Gwinnett
North Hall at Gilmer*
Union County at Elbert County*
White County at West Hall*
(* -- denotes region contest)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2022/3/1087922/soccer-johnson-boys-open-at-no-2-in-1st-national-poll