The playoffs are looking very similar to the regular season as the West Forsyth girls lacrosse team has continued their winning ways with their 13-2 quarterfinal win over St. Pius X. The team is now 19-0 and ranked No. 8 in the state (ranking according to laxpower.com). The Wolverines are the second-most highly-ranked team still alive in Class 1A-4A behind Westminster.
Their most recent win over the Golden Lions was payback for a playoff loss last year. On February 23, 2009, West was defeated 19-1 during the regular season at home by St. Pius X. Nicki Elderly once again provided the spark on offense scoring six times while adding two assists. Haley Holder and Taylor Hagin each scored twice as the Lady Wolverines used a balanced effort by attacking from all angles. In all, six different players had goals. It has been quite a three-year ride from the team’s formation to this point on the cusp of a state championship. Head coach Dan Kaplan believes the gradual improvement has kept the team grounded by going through the step by step process to get to this point.
"We don’t talk about rankings at all," said Kaplan. "The biggest thing for us was winning the region championship and taking it one step at a time from there."
One familiar opponent, Marist, lies on the other side of the bracket. The War Eagles face Westminster in the semifinal round. If they should meet in the championships, West can take solace in the fact that they already defeated Marist once this season, a 14-9 decision on March 25.
HORNS COLLECTING ACCOLADES …
They may not have been the first teams school history to win region championships, but shortly after the Lambert tennis squads won their titles, the boys lacrosse team won an area title of their own. The No. 1-ranked Longhorns made short work of their first-round opponent, Starr’s Mill, by winning 14-3. Adam Seal led the offense as the Longhorns ran out to a 9-0 first-half lead. Seal had six goals and two assists in the game. The state quarterfinals ended in another win as Lambert downed Decatur, 14-4.
After winning the Region 7, Class 3A title, the West Forsyth boys track and field team has their sights set on the state meet after qualifying 11 athletes total. While eight of those participants were members of the 400- and 1600-meter relay teams, many of the athletes will be competing in other events as well. One team to watch is the 1600-meter relay squad, which enters the meet as the top seed from the region. Robert Lewis will be in the most events as a member of both relay teams and also as a participant in the 100- and 200-meter dash.
The Etowah boys baseball team won a decisive Game 3 in their opening-round series with Brookwood. Key pitching from Danny Schmitt couldn’t have come at a better time as the Eagles toppled the Broncos 8-3. Cody Mazzatenta’s three-run homer in the second inning was a critical blow as Etowah took a 4-0 lead. Schmitt pitched a scoreless first four innings only giving up two hits. With a stellar defense behind him, Brookwood simply could not recover in the later innings.
GRIZZLIES TO FINAL FOUR …
The Creekview girls soccer team beat Richmond Hill 4-2, in the state quarterfinals setting up their match with Columbus in the semifinals. The top seed on their side of the bracket, Creekview faced a difficult test against their quarterfinal opponent, but with a few late-game goals, the Lady Grizzlies were able to advance. Richmond Hill jumped out to an early advantage holding Creekview scoreless in the first half, but senior Whitley Dover provided a four-goal second half that was the deciding factor. Dover reached a milestone as her third goal was the 100th of her career as a member of the Creekview soccer team.
With the state golf tournament delayed due to bad weather, the tournament finally got under way with the Etowah boys team looking to make a strong final push after qualifying second in the regional. Led by Anders Albertson’s one-over 73, Etowah played their way to a seventh-place finish. Albertson’s score was good enough for fourth overall as rain and wet conditions were still a factor in the scoring. Region 5 rival Harrison, who qualified first for the tournament, won the overall state title with a 296 to Etowah’s 312. In the girls tournament, Cherokee’s Meredith Gray shot an 86 finishing 14th individually out of 62.
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