In just the last two seasons, each of the six high school boys soccer programs in Whitfield County has reached the state championship game in its classification.
This year, it’s Christian Heritage School, Coahulla Creek and Dalton.
The Lions, Colts and Catamounts all battle this week for state titles.
Christian Heritage is first up in Class A DII, playing tonight at 7:30 against Georgia Military College Prep at McEachern High School in Powder Springs. Creek follows on Wednesday night, playing for its second Class 3A title in three years against Oconee County at Mercer University in Macon at 7:30. Dalton plays for its seventh total state championship when the Catamounts face Midtown for the 5A title at Duluth High School Thursday night at 7:30.
Christian Heritage tries to become latest local team to win GHSA title
Christian Heritage School is playing in its first state championship game as a member of the Georgia High School Association. The Lion program won a state championship as part of the Tennessee Association of Christian Schools, but a victory tonight would complete the set for Whitfield County: All six boys programs would have a GHSA state championship on the books.
Standing in the way is GMC Prep, the team from Milledgeville that is no stranger to competing for GHSA titles. Georgia Military won the old Class A Public in both 2019 and 2020 and was knocked out in the state semifinals by Dalton Academy a year ago.
GMC Prep (15-1-1) is looking to get back on top in the state’s new smallest classification, Class A DII, while Christian Heritage (12-1-3) is looking to reach the mountaintop for the first time as a GHSA school.
The Lions cruised into the state championship game. After a bye in the first round, Christian Heritage defeated Washington-Wilkes 10-0 in the second and Lake Oconee Academy 5-1 in the third. A 3-1 win, with all three goals coming from Winthrop signee Peter Pridgen, over Atkinson County in the semifinals punched the Lions’ ticket.
Georgia Military also comes in after dominating in the playoffs: The Bulldogs haven’t yet given up a goal in the postseason. A 9-0 win over Lincoln County was followed by a 2-0 win over Fugees Academy in the Elite 8 and a 3-0 win over Mount Zion in the Final Four. Fugees and Mount Zion were both area opponents of Christian Heritage. The Lions defeated Fugees 7-0 and Mount Zion 10-0.
GMC Prep defeated Lake Oconee Academy 3-0 and Washington-Wilkes 10-1 in the regular season.
Creek plays in title game for third time in four seasons
Something has to give when Coahulla Creek and Oconee County meet in the Class 3A championship game.
The Colts (18-1-2) come rolling into the state championship game after four straight shutout wins.
Oconee County (18-1-2) hasn’t given up a goal either.
The two stingy defenses meet up Wednesday to decide a state title.
After an exodus of seniors from Coahulla Creek’s 2021 state championship team, the Colts are right back in the finals two years later, with holdovers like now-seniors Anthony Mendiola and Saul Barcenas leading Creek back.
Coahulla is making its third appearance in the state championship game in four seasons. Creek reached the state finals in 2019 and might have again in 2020 if the season hadn’t been canceled due to COVID-19.
Oconee County was the Class 4A champion when Creek was playing for the 3A championship in 2019, but Oconee has since moved down into the same classification as the Colts.
The Region 8-3A champion won two straight games 1-0 to reach the finals — a quarterfinal win over Pike County and a victory over Wesleyan in the semis — while Coahulla won its last two games by a combined score of 10-0.
The two teams shared a couple of common opponents this season. Oconee defeated Coahulla’s region mate Ringgold 7-0 in the playoffs, while Creek downed Ringgold 6-1 in the regular season. The Colts won 6-0 in the semifinals over Hebron Christian, which Oconee defeated 1-0 earlier this season.
Now in 5A, Dalton aims to get back on top
For the first time since 2016, the Class 5A champion won’t be named either McIntosh or Johnson. McIntosh has three titles, Johnson two in that time. Johnson is now in 4A, and playing for a title there, while McIntosh was ousted from the playoffs in the quarterfinals by Dalton’s state championship game opponent.
Atlanta’s Midtown (17-4) lines up across from Dalton (20-2) in the 5A title game this year.
Of course, Dalton was no stranger to winning state championships during that time frame either.
The Catamounts won Class 6A in 2019 and 2021, while playoffs weren’t held in 2020 due to COVID-19. Dalton was denied the delayed three-peat last season, falling short of a state title for the first time since 2018.
The Catamounts thrashed Flowery Branch 6-0 in the semifinals to return to the championship game. Dalton could have been angling for another shot at McIntosh, which handed the Cats one of their two defeats in the regular season, but Dalton instead gets Midtown.
Midtown defeated McIntosh 2-0 in the quarterfinals, then beat Centennial 1-0 to reach the championship game. Dalton fell 4-1 against McIntosh during the regular season.
Midtown is searching for its first state championship, while a win for Dalton would make seven for the Catamounts. Dalton won state in 2003, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019 and 2021.