The second day of the GHSA Soccer Championships showcased the end of seasons for Class 2A Mercer, Class 3A McEachern and Class 4A Duluth.
Check out our first day recap or check out the men's and women's standings. Wednesday's summary is below.
Class 2A female student at Mercer School
Fellowship Christian 5, Mount Paran 0
Fellowship learned a lot in last season's state championship win and after applying that knowledge, the Paladins won the program's third state championship in controlled fashion.
“This team just came together,” Fellowship head coach Andy Tollivers said moments after taking an ice bath on the sideline, moments after the clock hit zero. “They play for each other and they love each other. They love to play this game. They play it beautifully.”
The Paladins took a 1-0 lead six minutes into the game on a goal by Cade Leach off an assist from Avery Paulson. At the eight-minute mark, Leach extended the lead with another assist from Paulson.
“We didn't expect to go out there and control the game the way we did,” Trivers said. “We know Mount Paran. We respect their team. But the out goals were two goals in the first 10 minutes.”
Paulson found the following at No. 23.rd One minute until Fellowship took a 3-0 lead. Paulson recorded her third assist of the game as Lily Kate Elphick's kick found the back of the net in the 37th minute, giving Fellowship a 4-0 lead just before the end of the first half. Paulson extended Fellowship's lead to 5-0 with an assist from Kelly Rodman.
“We had a good grip on the ball and controlled every area of the field,” said Trivers, a North London native who has coached the Paladins to a high standard of play. “They continued to control the game as usual. That's not a surprise to me. I know how good they are. But the fact that they did that says so much about them.”
Mount Paran is seeking its first state championship in program history, with Fellowship having won three times in 2016, 2023 and this season.
Mercer School 2A Boys
Toombs County 2, Model 0
Two first-half goals by two senior leaders proved to be the difference in Toombs County's path to its first state championship in program history.
Forward Yovany Zamorano scored at the 27:17 mark to give Toombs a 1-0 lead, and less than two minutes later, defender Braley Dietrich found the back of the net for the score. The Bulldogs defeated Kendrick 10-0, Berean 9-0, Drew Charter 3-0 and Fellowship Christian 3-1 on the road to the championship.
Modell defeated North Cobb Christian 7-0, Union County 1-0, Pierce County 2-1 and Providence Christian 2-1 in their bid for the program's first state championship. .
Female student in class 4A at Duluth school
Lovett 3, North Oconee 2
The Lovett Lions defeated the North Oconee Titans 3-2 in the 4A GHSA Girls Soccer State Championship on Wednesday night, and the Lions finished the season undefeated and advanced to win the state championship at 21-0.
North Oconee took the lead in the 22nd minute with a goal from Grace Maddox and took a one-point lead late in the first half. Lovett then scored on Mary Camp Newton's goal five minutes later to tie the score at 1-1. Mary Parrish Greene's goal in the 36th minute broke the tie, giving Lovett the lead for the first time in the game. Maddox tied it with North Oconee's second goal of the night in the opening minutes of the second half.
In the final minutes of the game, Lovett's Olivia Aiken broke the tie with a goal in the 56th minute to take a 3-2 lead. This goal ultimately decided the game and the Lions were crowned state champions. Lovett goaltender Helen Scherer made two saves on the night of the championship win.
The Lions have won their third GHSA state championship in the past four years, winning their first in 2001 and then again this season in 2005, 2016, 2021, 2022 and their sixth overall. won the championship.
McCachern School 3A Boys
Columbus 2, Hebron Christian 1
It took two overtimes for the Blue Devils to beat Hebron, and senior forward Jackson Briggs' goal in the second overtime proved the feat. This victory marked Columbus' first ever soccer championship.
Senior forward Karen Robinson scored the first goal of the game in the first half to give Columbus the advantage. Hebron's star freshman Benji Gunzi scored the tying goal four minutes later, forcing overtime.
Briggs found the net at 8:23 of the second overtime period, giving Columbus the lead for good. Columbus defeated Hepzibah 10-0, Mary Parsons 3-0, defending champion Coahula Creek 2-0 and Oconee County 1-0 on its way to the championship.
Hebron defeated Carver Atlanta 10-0, Dawson County 6-0, Savannah Country Day 2-1 and Bremen 3-1 through the playoffs, aiming for the program's first state championship.
McCachern School 3A Female Student
Oconee County 2, Wesleyan 1
Jasmine Lockamy's second-half goal gave Oconee County a 2-1 lead, giving the Warriors their title defense and second-ever state championship.
The Warriors took a 1-0 lead at the 12:10 mark of the first half on a goal by junior defender Kate Walker. Wesleyan tied the game at 1-1 on a goal from junior midfielder Emma Glazier, and the score remained until halftime.
Sophomore forward Lockamy found the back of the net at 26:18, giving the Warriors the lead for good. Last year's championship was the first for Oconee County, and Wesleyan was looking for the team's third championship after 2017 and 2019.
Class 4A male students at Duluth School
Westminster 2, Johnson Gainesville 0
After competing in the GHSA Class 4A Boys Soccer State Championship and losing to Johnson Gainesville last year, the Westminster Wildcats avenge last year and return to glory with a 2-0 win over the Knights.
Aditya Kaur's goal in the 22nd minute of the first half broke the 0-0 deadlock. Minutes after the first goal of the match, Westminster's Tristen Lewis received a red card and was disqualified from the match. Kaul's goal was the difference in the first half as the Wildcats entered halftime with a 1-0 lead.
Westminster outscored the defending champion Knights 9-4 in the first half.
Two minutes into the second half, Johnson Gainesville's Jalil Chavez was given a second red card and was ejected from the rest of the game. The Wildcats added another point on Will Stewart's header off an assist from Alex Na to take a 2-0 lead, which proved to be the winning goal.
Johnson-Gainesville was aiming for its third consecutive state championship. Westminster College finished the season with a record of 16-4-2 and won the 15th state championship in program history. The Wildcats won three straight state championships in 2017 and 2018, most recently winning in 2019.