Lady Devils clinch Region 7-AA title, boys at No. 2 seed

The Model Lady Devils are 2021 Region 7-AA champions after holding off No. 2 seed Fannin County in the regular-season finale Thursday.

Despite losing 1-0 on penalty kicks, Model secures the region title and a No. 1 seed in the Class AA state playoffs on head-to-head goal differential. The Lady Devils defeated Fannin County 6-0 at Model High School last month.

Model completes the 2021 regular season at 16-2 overall, including 11-1 in Region 7-AA. The Lady Devils will battle Therrell High School in the first round of the state playoffs next Thursday at Woodard-tuggle Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Model boys earned Region 7-AA’S No. 2 seed after a 3-2 suddendeath win at Fannin County.

The game went all the way to penalty kicks, but Will Burnes’ save on Fannin County’s fifth PK attempt secured the road victory in the regular-season finale and an opening-round playoff game on home turf vs. Elite Scholars Academy next Friday.

“I’m so proud of the boys tonight,” Blue Devils head coach Donnie Mendence said in an emailed statement. “They played their hearts out. Edgar (Reyes) really stepped up to make his PK in sudden death because we had to have that goal since we (shot) first. Then, Will Burnes, who had gotten his hand on many of their PK shots, finally gets the block to win the game. I love the fight that my team has and how they refuse to quit.”

Kickoff times for both the Lady Devils and Model boys’ playoff games have yet to be determined.