This year's

region 4-AAAAA soccer champions are the same as last year's region 4-AAAAA

soccer champions. The only difference was in how they got there.

The McIntosh

Lady Chiefs faced the Starr's Mill Lady Panthers last Friday in the region

championship and found themselves down 1-0 early. Very early. A minute

and a half in to the game, the Lady Panthers scored off of a corner kick.

The kick was set up after Alison Graham took a free kick and almost put

it in the upper left hand corner of the net. Starr's Mill kept the lead

until Tabitha Lowey scored off on assist from Kari Quinn 15 minutes later.

McIntosh scored

again three and a half minutes later when freshman Jessie Lenze found

the net after a free kick. Play went back and forth and momentum continued

to shift. Starr's Mill tied the game with just over 11 minutes remaining

in the first half off of a head ball with a lot of confusion in front

of the net. Six minutes later Lenze would give her team the lead for good

scoring after a corner kick.

In the second

half, the game continued the frenetic pace of the first half. Starr's

Mill's goalkeeper --- made outstanding saves and the Lady Panthers tried

to equalize the game once more. McIntosh scored the fourth goal of the

game 14 minutes into the second half when Emily Myers found the back of

the net. Kari Quinn scored six and a half minutes later, putting the game

and the region championship out of reach.

This was McIntosh's

seventh consecutive region championship and second straight over Starr's

Mill.

"The biggest

adjustment we made was putting Lenze on the outside and Quinn up the middle,"

said McIntosh coach Steven Buckner. "This was the first time in a

long time we were down 1-0. We really had to play great ball."

The boys game

was equally thrilling and even more fast paced and physical then the girls

match. Starr's Mill and McIntosh went back and forth for the first 24

minutes of the game before the deadlock was broken. Chris Bowen scored

off of a header for the Panthers and then scored five minutes later with

a beautiful goal that went to the upper right corner of the net.

Though Starr's

Mill had a 2-0 lead, McIntosh refused to give up and had a number of scoring

opportunities. Panther goalkeeper Anthony Peca made dozens of beautiful

saves before Omar Jarun broke through for the Chiefs and scored with 20

minutes remaining in the game. Three minutes later it was Jarun again

after a takedown in the box lead to a penalty kick.

The score was

deadlocked at two goals apiece with 17 minutes remaining and play grew

more intense and ferocious. Starr's Mill reclaimed the lead when Jake

Upchurch scored the go ahead goal. The Panthers held on to the lead, thanks

in part to more spectacular saves from Peca including a stop inside the

net just in front of the goal line and a big stop from the defense on

the line with just over six minutes to go.

Starr's Mill

won their second consecutive Region 4-AAAAA championship. It was also

their second straight region championship win over the Chiefs. All four

teams could meet again in the state playoffs if they all make the finals.

Soccer fans couldn't ask for better matchups.

In the third-place

matches, Newnan's boys lost to Fayette County 1-0 and Newnan's girls defeated

Fayette County 1-0.

The boys opened

the state playoffs yesterday evening. Starr's Mill hosted Benedictine,

McIntosh hosted Bradwell Institute and Fayette County played at Windsor

Forest.

Should they

all win, the Panthers will play the winner of Houston County/Lee County,

the Chiefs will play the winner of Warner Robins/Ware County and the Tigers

will play the winner of Lowndes/Hardaway.

The girls begin

the state playoffs today. McIntosh hosts Brunswick at 4:15 p.m., Starr's

Mill hosts Wayne County and Fayette County plays at St. Vincents at 5

p.m.

Should they

all win, the Lady Chiefs will play the winner of Houston County and Tift

County, the Lady Panthers will play the winner of Hardaway/Ware County

and the Lady Tigers will play the winner of Colquitt County and Griffin.

Back

to the Top of the Page Back

to the Sports Home Page