River Ridge and Drew Charter’s boys and Pike County and Roswell’s girls won titles in the final matches of the GHSA soccer season at Mercer University in Macon and Duluth High School.
At Duluth
Class 5A
Girls: Roswell 1, Northgate 0
Roswell won the program’s first-ever championship in 2023 and after a goal from Natalie Brooks at the 17:41 mark in the second half, coupled with stifling defense, the Hornets are champions again.
Brooks was named the Wendy’s Most Valuable Player for Roswell. The Hornets entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed from Region 7 and beat Riverwood 3-1, Lakeside-DeKalb 10-0, Habersham Central 4-1 and Pope 3-1 in the semifinals.
Northgate was trying for the program’s second state championship after winning the Class 5A championship in 2013.
Boys: River Ridge 3, Sprayberry 2 (PKs)
River Ridge won the program’s first-ever title last season and since, the Knights don’t know what it means to lose a championship after successfully defending against Sprayberry.
Goalie Graycen Vanwilder was named the Wendy’s Most Valuable Player after key saves helped secure the title for River Ridge.
Eric Cruz put Sprayberry ahead 1-0 at 15:18 left in the first half on a penalty kick. Reed McClure tied the contest in the second half with 17:42 left. Caua Siqueira gave Sprayberry the 2-1 lead with 14:41 left in the second half but McClure’s equalizer with 2:16 left in regulation sent the match into overtime and penalty kicks.
At Mercer University
Class 2A
Girls: Pike County 6, Savannah Arts 5
Pike County’s first-ever state championship came at the end of a back-and-forth scoring affair but in the end, a game-winner from Olivia Park at the 35:17 mark of the second half proved to be the dagger. Park was named the Wendy’s Most Valuable Player for her efforts.
Pike went ahead on goals from Anna Bottoms (:27, first half) and Jacey Fillingim (1:09, first half). Savannah Arts tied the match with goals from Amelia Reci (1:20, first half) and Angie Oetting (4:56, first half). Bottoms put Pike ahead 3-2 with a goal at the 16:54 mark of the first half and Park added a late goal to push the margin to 4-2.
Oetting cut into the lead with a goal at the 2:06 mark of the second half but Park responded with a goal at the 8:38 mark to expand the lead. Reci scored back-to-back goals at 11:07 and 28:16 in the second half to tie the match, setting up Park’s game-winner.
Boys: Drew Charter 5, Shaw 1
Drew Charter had little trouble with Shaw on the way to a 5-1 victory and the program’s first-ever state championship.
Julian Carlson scored first with 27:05 in the first half. Finnegan Lakes expanded the lead at 28:23 in the first half and Judah Schott added a late first-half goal to give Drew a 3-0 lead into halftime.
Camryn Tharp cut into the lead for Shaw with a goal at 3:41 in the second half but two goals by Austin Smith at 14:13 and 27:17 in the second half put the match away. Smith was named the Wendy’s Most Valuable Player for Drew Charter.
Loading ...
