Three Northeast Georgia-area boys teams will shoot for state championship match berths on Friday as the Georgia High School Association soccer playoffs move into the semifinal round.
Flowery Branch in Class 5A, Johnson in 4A, and Union County in 2A will try and keep playoff runs going.
Recent championship success has been nothing new for the Johnson boys. The Knights are the defending Class 5A state champions. They also won the 2018 Class 5A title. They have played for a title thrice -- in 2014, 2016 and 2021-- over the past decade.
Union County has been in the finals as recently as 2019. The Panthers dropped a heartbreaker, 2-1, to Thomasville in Class 2A that year.
For Flowery Branch, however, it has been nearly two decades since it has advanced to a championship match. The Falcons lost the Class 3A state title game in 2004 to Richmond Academy, 3-0, in Augusta.
This time, the Falcons will take on perennial power Dalton, which is ranked 11th in the latest United Soccer Coaches High School national rankings. They were ranked second in Class 5A in the latest scorbord.com poll for Georgia.
So far, the Class 5A sixth-ranked Falcons (12-5-3) have shown resiliency and toughness in the playoffs. Branch has won each of its last two playoff matches by one goal. They fought off a tough Cambridge squad at home in the second round and scored in the waning seconds to beat Union Grove on the road, 1-0, in the quarterfinals.
First-year coach Billy Johnson hopes the recent playoffs experience will be enough to get past the powerful Catamounts (18-2).
"We've played a tough schedule all year. We've had some very tight playoff matches," Johnson said. "We know Dalton is one of those premier programs, and we know it will be a huge challenge. But we feel like we're tested and ready for this.
"We're trying to build our program to be like the Daltons and Johnsons out there. To be the best, you have to beat the best. We're looking forward to this one."
The Flowery Branch defensive line of Hayron Alvarado, Mario Rodriguez, Eduardo Treijo, Jaydin Kijanski, and Marco Velazquez -- all seniors -- has been a key driving force behind their success. They have allowed just one goal in the playoffs with two shutouts in front of junior keeper Cristian Guerra.
The Catamounts have won eight straight since a loss to Johnson during the regular season. Dalton can play a variety of styles, and Coach Johnson said they will try to be ready for whatever they throw the Falcons' way.
"They can send wave after wave of attackers, or they can try and control the early pace to wear you down, or they can just use their skill to beat you. I have seen beat teams in every way possible," Johnson said. "For us, the key will be just trying to manage the opening part of the game and take whatever they give us. The longer we can stay tied with them or even get an early goal; I would like our chances.
"Our guys have risen to the challenge since we started 1-4 [Branch is 11-1-3 since], and they don't back down. Our defense has been solid all year. Those guys have really been the key for us. If they play the way they have over the last two months, we definitely have a shot."
(Check below for scores and the quarterfinal round schedule for Northeast Georgia-area boys teams.)
BOYS SOCCER PLAYOFFS, semifinal round, Friday, April 28
Class 5A
Dalton (Region 7, Seed 1) at Flowery Branch (R8, S1), 6:30 p.m.
Class 4A
North Oconee (R8, S4) at Johnson (R8, S1), 7:30 p.m.
Class 2A
Union County (R8, S3) at Tattnall County (R3, S1), 6 p.m.
