Four soccer

teams in the state finals, four state champions. It feels

really good to say that.

On

Saturday, McIntosh and Starr's Mill sent their boys and

girls soccer teams into battle and came out victorious.

The Starr's Mill girls faced their AAA rival, Marist,

while the boys team took on Heritage, a team that had

handed the Panthers one of their losses earlier in the

season. McIntosh's boys faced Parkview while the lady

Chiefs took on Pope, the team that defeated them in the

state semifinals last year.

The Starr's

Mill Lady Panthers (19-1) kicked off the soccer action on

Saturday afternoon and started with a bang. The team got

on the scoreboard early with two goals in the first 20

minutes, one from Kacy Murray and one from Janet Burke.

Marist was down 2-0 at the half but responded with a goal

early in the second half to cut the lead to a goal.

Starr's

Mill came back with a goal from Alison Graham, who scored

off of an assist from Lindsey Wegryzyn, but found their

lead cut to one goal again after another Marist goal.

Janet Burke scored two more times in the second half and

the panther defense clamped down, giving the Lady

Panthers their second state title in as many years.

In the boys

game, Starr's Mill (16-2-2) and Heritage went back and

forth with scoring opportunities, but found themselves in

a scoreless tie at the half. Both teams got a goal in the

second half and found themselves knotted once again at

the end of regulation. The Panthers were no strangers to

overtime, playing in four overtime games this season,

including one to Heritage which ended in a loss.

The loss

was avenged in the first overtime however, when Robert

Cooper scored off of an assist from Sammy Chang. The

Panthers then hung on in the second overtime to claim

their first state title.

Across town

at McIntosh High School, the boys started the day with a

game against Parkview. The Chiefs (19-2) had not lost all

season to a AAAA opponent and was looking to keep it that

way. Down 1-0 early, the Chiefs responded with three

goals before the half. Steven Wilson netted the first

goal, heading in a throw in from Nick Brooke about 26

minutes into the first half. Dave Hogan followed suit

soon after with a header off of a throw in from Kyle

Gaylor.

With the

clock winding down before the half, senior and leading

goal scorer Beau Balesky took a corner kick which Travis

Britt put in the back of the net. The Chiefs then played

solid defense, keeping the score the same and their

clutches on the state title.

The Lady

Chiefs played Pope after the boys game and found possibly

their stiffest competition all year. Pope scored seconds

before halftime, but did not knock the wind out of the

Lady Chiefs sails. Keri Pendergrass, who competed in the

state track meet in Albany earlier in the day, scored

four minutes into the second half to tie the game.

The two

teams went back and forth for the duration of regulation

and through two 10 minute overtimes. Instead of having a

shootout to determine a clear-cut champion, the GHSA

names the two teams that are tied at the end of two

overtimes co-champions. Pope was named a co-champion in

last year's state finals. McIntosh remained undefeated

all season.

And now,

just as quickly as it was upon us, soccer season is over.

Next year promises to be just as exciting, if not more

so. As it currently stands, McIntosh, Starr's Mill and

Fayette County will all be a part of the new GHSA

classification, 4-AAAAA. That would mean a much tougher

region schedule for the three teams and that one of them

would not make it to the state playoffs. There is a

possibility that all that could change, but for soccer

fans it's fun to think about.