At the conclusion of each high school soccer season completed since 2017, at least one state champion crowned across Georgia’s eight classifications has hailed from the Dalton Daily Citizen’s coverage area of Whitfield and Murray counties.
With the high school soccer state playoffs getting underway this week, several local teams are vying to continue the streak into another year.
The boys teams from Dalton High, Coahulla Creek and Christian Heritage all won state titles in 2023, and all three are back in the state playoffs again with a chance to defend those championships. After winning in 2022, the boys teams from Southeast Whitfield and The Dalton Academy head into the postseason as region champions and are looking to get back on top again. While a girls team from the two counties has not yet won a state championship, six of the eight high schools in the county send their girls programs to the postseason this year in hopes of becoming the first.
Play in the postseason gets underway tonight, and the march toward the state championships continues into early May.
Dalton boys look to repeat in Class 5A, Lady Cats enter as region champions
Last spring, the Dalton Catamount boys soccer team earned its seventh state championship ring — with all of them coming since 2003. Dalton’s quest for an eighth starts with a Class 5A playoff game Wednesday night at 7 at home against Kell.
This season, in what has been a rarity in recent years, Dalton enters the postseason not as a top-seeded region champion but as a second seed, having fallen to Region 7-5A champion Cass this season. Second-seeded Dalton (13-4-1) gets Kell (12-3-1), Region 6-3A’s third seed, at home in the first round, but, if Dalton advances, the Catamounts would potentially have to hit the road in the second round. The winner of a first-round game between Lithia Springs and top-seeded Clarke Central awaits in the second round for the Dalton-Kell winner.
Despite falling short of a region title and finishing with the most losses in a season — four — the program has experienced in more than 10 seasons, Dalton still has plenty of strong wins among its 14, including a victory over defending 4A champ Johnson, which hasn’t lost another game. Kell battled through its own tough region in 6-5A, going 12-3-1 on the year thus far, with two of those losses coming to region competition.
The Dalton Lady Catamounts (8-5-3) enter the playoffs as the Region 7-5A champion and host Northview (6-8-1), the fourth-seeded team from Region 6-5A, tonight at 6 at Harmon Field.
Northview is a familiar playoff opponent for Dalton, having ousted the Lady Cats from the second round of the state playoffs last year 2-1 in overtime.
If Dalton gets past Northview this year, it would host either Loganville or Maynard Jackson in the second round.
Southeast boys, Northwest girls earned region titles in 4A, while Bruin boys and Lady Raiders also reach postseason
Southeast Whitfield won Class 4A state championships in both 2021 and 2022, and the Raiders head into the 2024 postseason with home-field advantage as Region 7-4A champions.
The Raiders (11-5-1) open the postseason Friday night at 8 against Holy Innocents Episcopal (7-7-3), the fourth-seeded team from Region 6-4A.
Southeast had been rolling headed into the playoffs, having won 11 games in a row after an 0-4 start against tough competition, but the Raiders fell in a tight game 1-0 Friday night against rival Dalton to break the win streak before the playoffs. If the Raiders win in the first round, Southeast would advance to host either East Forsyth or Woodland.
Southeast’s Friday night playoff opener caps a doubleheader with the girls team, which will open the 4A playoffs Friday at home at 6 p.m. against Druid Hills (10-5-1).
The Lady Raiders (10-3-1) are a strong second seed in Region 7-4A, having lost only to region champion Northwest Whitfield in the region while outscoring other region teams 16-2. Should Southeast beat third-seeded Druid Hills from Region 6-4A, it would either host Hampton or travel to Cherokee Bluff in the second round.
The Lady Bruins of Northwest Whitfield, which beat Southeast as region champions, head into the 4A playoffs having outscored region opponents 32-1 in a five-game slate. Northwest (13-3-1) hosts Clarkston (12-6-1), the fourth seed from Region 6-4A, Thursday at 6 p.m. in the first round.
Northwest made back-to-back Final Four appearances in 2021 and 2022, and the Lady Bruins are looking to become the first girls team from Whitfield County to reach the state championship game. With a first-round win, Northwest would host either North Oconee or Luella in the second round.
The Bruins’ boys team also will face Clarkston to open the playoffs, though Northwest (6-7-4) will have to go on the road to Region 6-4A’s second-seeded Clarkston (15-3) after finishing third in Region 7-4A during the regular season. The game is Friday at 7 p.m. Despite entering the postseason with a losing record, Northwest played a schedule packed with strong competition. The Bruins beat defending 3A champion Coahulla Creek and tied with defending 5A champion Dalton. Northwest would play either Cedar Shoals or Pace Academy in the second round with a win.
Coahulla Creek boys aim to defend 3A state title, Lady Colts hit the road for opener
Both Coahulla Creek soccer teams play Lumpkin County to open the 3A playoffs this week, though the Region 6-3A and defending 3A state champion boys will host a playoff opener, and the Lady Colts will have to go on the road.
The Creek boys (11-4-1) host Region 7-3A’s fourth-seeded Lumpkin County (5-6-1) Wednesday at 6 p.m to start off their state title defense. The Colts enter the postseason on a five-game win streak and were dominant in an undefeated trek through Region 6-3A, finishing 6-0 with a 39-4 goal differential.
Creek also entered last season’s playoffs on a win streak and rode that momentum all the way to a second state championship in three seasons.
With a win, the next step for Creek would be a home game against the winner between Monroe Area and Cedar Grove.
The Lady Colts, though, will be on the road at Lumpkin County tonight at 5 to begin the Class 3A playoffs. Creek finished 9-6 on its way to the third seed in Region 6-3A, while Lumpkin County (10-1-1) has lost just once as the second seed from Region 7-3A. If Creek can pull an upset, it would play either Carver or Oconee County in the second round.
Both Murray teams play at Marietta’s Walker in Class 2A first round
The Murray County boys and girls teams both travel to Marietta’s Walker School for the first round of the Class 2A playoffs on Thursday.
The girls teams will play Thursday at 5:30 p.m., with the boys to follow at 7:30 p.m.
The Murray boys (5-11-1) finished in a tie with rival North Murray for fourth place in Region 7-2A, but a coin flip landed Murray the fourth seed for the state playoffs and left the Mountaineers on the outside looking in. Walker (13-3) romped through Region 6-2A unbeaten to claim the top seed for the playoffs. The winner of Thursday’s game plays either Callaway or Providence Christian in the second round.
After reaching the state playoffs for the first time in program history last year, the Murray girls are in the postseason again, finishing 10-8 and third in Region 7-2A. Walker went 9-4-2 on its way to the second seed in 6-2A. Thursday’s winner gets either Providence Christian or Landmark Christian in the second round.
Region champ Dalton Academy aims to get back on top in Class A DI after winning state in 2022
After winning a state championship in the program’s first year of existence two seasons ago, The Dalton Academy rides into the Class A DI state playoffs this season as region champions and with a 14-2-1 record against a tough schedule.
The chase for another state title begins Wednesday at 7 p.m. at home against Whitefield Academy, the fourth-seeded team from Region 6-A DI.
Dalton Academy outscored opponents 40-2 in a seven-game region slate. The only two losses on the year for the Pumas came against region champions and playoff teams from much larger schools. Playing in the second smallest classification in the state, Dalton Academy’s losses came against Cass, a region champion from Class 5A, and Southeast Whitfield, a 4A region champion.
Whitefield (13-4-1) is no pushover as a fourth seed though, coming out of a packed Region 6-A DI that saw three teams tie for second place with a 6-2 region record.
If the Pumas survive the first-round test, they’d host Barrow or Jasper County in the second round.
Christian Heritage boys, girls both get byes in Class A DII
Taking advantage of one of the perks of playing in the smallest classifications in the state in which not enough schools field soccer teams to field a complete 32-team bracket, both the Christian Heritage boys and girls get automatic berths in the second round of the Class A DII playoffs.
The boys, the defending Class A DII state champions, earned the Area 4-A DII top seed despite graduating several key pieces that helped the school to its first GHSA state title a year ago.
The Lions (7-4) play next week against the winner of a first-round game Wednesday between Bowdon and Chattahoochee County.
The Christian Heritage girls (4-6) finished second in the area and will play next week against the winner of a first-round matchup between Towns County and Treutlen.