Fayette

County's soccer dominance has been reported everywhere

this week, but it should come as no surprise to local

residents.

The five

Fayette County high school soccer teams that entered the

state playoffs last week have all reached the semi-finals

and have a legitimate shot at state championships.

The

McIntosh Lady Chiefs, ranked number one in the state and

number one in the nation in the National Soccer Coaches

of America Association poll, defeated Liberty County last

Friday 15-0. The Lady Chiefs have won both matches in the

state playoffs by that score and look as dominant as

ever.

In Friday's

game, goal scorers included Julie Herdic scoring four

goals, Keri Pendergrass scoring three, Dana Van Winkle

scoring two and Lauren Kopec and Brittany Jones scoring

one goal apiece. The Lady Chiefs host Parkview at 7 p.m

tonight.

The

McIntosh boys continued their march to the finals with a

5-1 win over Colquitt County last Friday. Dave Hogan and

Matt Clements each netted one goal in the first half to

give the Chiefs a 2-1 edge at halftime. McIntosh then

proceeded to dominate the flow of the game, both

offensively and defensively. Rob Nacke, Nick Corley and

Matt Clements each had a goal in the second half to

secure the win. The Chiefs hosted Clarke Central last

night.

Starr's

Mill's boys made the semifinals by beating Statesboro

1-0. Though the Panthers had numerous scoring

opportunities, only Brandon Henry found the back of the

net. The Panthers had 24 shots in the game and must

capitalize on the scoring chances they get. The Panthers

hosted Central Gwinnett last night.

The Lady

Panthers also had a 1-0 win over the weekend as they

defeated Heritage Saturday night. Kacy Mureay scored the

goal approximately 20 minutes into the match. The Lady

Panthers then buckled down and played the solid defense

they have played all year. Starr's Mill's girls have

produced 14 shutouts in 17 games this season. Starr's

Mill, also receiving votes in the NSCAA Top 20 poll, will

play North Gwinnett tonight at 7 p.m.

The Fayette

County Lady Tigers survived a scare Saturday to advance

to the semifinals. The lady Tigers hosted Wayne County

and dominated them for a majority of the game. The two

teams entered the half in a scoreless tie. The tie was

broken two and a half minutes into the second half, when

Lauren Fetter scored off an assist by Mandy Kovach. Wayne

County tied the game with less than three minutes

remaining, forcing an overtime.

Both teams

went scoreless in the first overtime period and with less

than two minutes remaining Faith Joslin kicked in a

rebound off the post and secured the win for the Lady

Tigers. Fayette County will play at Pope tonight at 7

p.m.

Please head

out to the stadiums to support these teams. The crowds

have been rather small for the state playoffs. It is

important for the local fans to be louder than the group

of parents riding up to support the opposing team.

Assuming all five teams advance, the state soccer finals

will be at McIntosh and Starr's Mill this Saturday.