There are 64 programs alive and each stand three victories away from a coveted state championship. Seven defending champions are entering Tuesday’s matches which feature ranked-versus-ranked, runners up trying to return to the championship after last year’s title loss and some teams are just happy to be playing soccer at the end of April.
Welcome to the quarterfinals.
The champions still playing are Lambert (7A), Lassiter (6A), Dalton (5A), Johnson-Gainesville (4A), Coahulla Creek (3A), Paideia (A-Division I) and Christian Heritage (A-Division II). Tattnall County, the Class 2A champion, lost in the opening round.
There are 14 quarterfinals matches where each opponent is ranked highlighted by No. 2 Discovery at No. 6 Grayson (7A), No. 2 Johns Creek at No. 6 North Atlanta (6A), No. 3 Dalton at No. 1 McIntosh (5A), No. 5 Whitewater at No. 1 Johnson-Gainesville (4A), and No. 1 Savannah Country Day at No. 3 Hebron Christian (3A).
The best matchup is arguably No. 5 Dalton at No. 1 McIntosh in Class 5A. McIntosh enters the quarterfinals 20-0 and coming off playoff victories over Dutchtown 6-0 and Cross Keys 2-1 while Dalton is 15-4-1 and has beaten Kell 2-1 and Clarke Central 2-1.
In the past decade, Dalton has won six championships with three-straight from 2013-2015 and shared a title with Heritage in 2003. McIntosh has eight overall championships and five since 2013. In 2013-2014, McIntosh won the 5A championships while Dalton repeated as the Class 4A champion before winning the 5A title in 2015. In 2019 and 2021 (Covid-19 won all titles in the 2020 season) Dalton won the 6A championships while McIntosh won the 5A titles.
Runners up vying for another title berth after a loss in the championship game last season are 6A No. 1 River Ridge (3-2 loss to Lassiter), 5A Midtown (2-0 loss to Dalton), 4A No. 2 Westminster (4-2 loss to Johnson-Gainesville), 3A No. 2 Oconee County (1-0 loss to Coahulla Creek), 2A Providence Christian 3-2 loss to Tattnall County), A Division I No. 1 Atlanta International (2-1 loss to Paideia), A Division II No. 1 Georgia Military (2-1 loss to Christian Heritage).
Around the state, unranked teams were either underappreciated in the polls or the soccer talent pool around the state has deepened. But not all teams entered the playoffs ranked in their respective top 10′s and have carved quarterfinal appearances out of postseason runs.
In the state’s highest class, Campbell hosts No. 3 Lambert and Kennesaw Mountain plays at Colquitt County. Woodward Academy hosts No. 3 Sprayberry, Glynn Academy hosts No. 7 Lassiter and No. 1 River Ridge hosts Riverwood in the Class 6A quarterfinals.
In Class 5A, Eagle’s Landing travels to Midtown and Tucker hosts No. 4 Cass. In Class 4A, LaGrange travels to Northwest Whitfield and Bainbridge hosts No. 2 Westminster. Morgan County hosts No. 2 Oconee County in Class 3A. In Class 2A, Fellowship travels to Fitzgerald, No. 2 Toombs hosts Drew Charter and No. 5 Jeff Davis travels to Providence Christian. In Class A Division I, Lamar County hosts No. 3 Whitefield Academy and Jefferson County travels to No. 1 Atlanta International. In Class A Division II, Macon County travels to No. 1 Georgia Military and Echols County travels to No. 4 Christian Heritage.
See the quarterfinals schedule below or follow the link to the full brackets.
Class 7A Quarterfinals schedule
No. 3 Lambert at Campbell
No. 5 Milton at No. 7 Archer
No. 2 Discovery at No. 6 Grayson
Kennesaw Mountain at Colquitt
Class 6A Quarterfinals schedule
No. 7 Lassiter at Glynn Academy
No. 3 Sprayberry at Woodward Academy
No. 2 Johns Creek at No. 6 North Atlanta
Riverwood at No. 1 River Ridge
Class 5A Quarterfinals schedule
Eagle’s Landing at Midtown
No. 3 Dalton at No. 1 McIntosh
No. 4 Cass at Tucker
No. 10 Decatur at No. 9 Chattahoochee
Class 4A Quarterfinals schedule
LaGrange at Northwest Whitfield
No. 5 Whitewater at No. 1 Johnson-Gainesville
Holy Innocents’ at No. 3 Starr’s Mill
No. 2 Westminster at Bainbridge
Class 3A Quarterfinals schedule
No. 6 Bremen at No. 8 Pike County
No. 1 Savannah Country Day at No. 3 Hebron Christian
No. 2 Oconee County at Morgan County
No. 7 Coahulla Creek at No. 5 Columbus
Class 2A Quarterfinals schedule
Fellowship Christian at Fitzgerald
Drew Charter at No. 2 Toombs County
No. 9 Pierce County at No. 1 Model
No. 5 Jeff Davis at Providence Christian
Class A Division I Quarterfinals schedule
No. 6 East Laurens at No. 5 Paideia
No. 8 Mt. Vernon at No. 7 Woodville-Tompkins
No. 3 Whitefield Academy at Lamar County
Jefferson County at No. 1 Atlanta International
Class A Division II Quarterfinals schedule
No. 9 Atlanta Classical at No. 10 Wheeler County
No. 7 Fugees at No. 5 Atkinson County
Macon County at No. 1 Georgia Military
Echols at No. 4 Christian Heritage
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