Heritage girls add to NGAC soccer championship collection
Heritage boys finish as tournament runners-up
The Lakeview Lady Warriors, seeded fifth in the North Georgia Athletic Conference tournament, entered last Monday’s championship match with plenty of momentum.
Not only were the Red-andWhite the tournament hosts and would be getting to play the final match on their own home turf, they would be doing so after back-toback tournament wins over higherseeded teams. Lakeview knocked off fourth-seeded Saddle Ridge, 1-0 in the opening round the previous Monday, before a 1-0 upset of top-seeded LaFayette in a semifinal match this past Thursday.
However, second-seeded Heritage had no plans to join the upset club.
Four goals by Aireanna Williams, including a first-half hat-trick, helped propel the Navy-and-Red to yet another conference tournament championship with a 9-0 win over their Catoosa County rivals.
Williams opened the scoring 3:14 into the match, knocking home a rebound shot after Lakeview keeper Lizet Jimenez was able to get a foot on an initial shot by Zoie St. John. Just over 12 minutes later, the Lady Warriors lost control of the ball in their own 18-yard box and it rolled right to the foot of Williams, who connected on a well-struck shot from 15 yards out.
Lakeview’s first real scoring chance came off a corner kick with 12:20
to go. The ball was redirected on goal, but keeper Reese Abercrombie reacted quickly to snare it going to her right to keep the shutout intact.
Williams would complete her hat-trick with 6:22 left on the first-half clock. A crossing pass was knocked down by a Lady Warrior defender, but it again landed right on the foot of Williams, who hammered it home from 10 yards out and Heritage would take a 3-0 lead into intermission.
A four-goal barrage in the first 10 minutes of the second half blew the game wide open.
Taylor Wade got on the board with 26:30 remaining in the match and a shot by St. John would find the back of the net just 46 seconds later to make it 5-0. Williams capped her night with a beautiful one-touch volley from 12 yards out
that dented the back of the net at the 22:28 mark.
There was 20:30 left on the clock when Williams send a pass to Wade, who in turn crossed it back in front of the goal to her right. St. John was able to get in behind the Lakeview defense and tap it in off the side post to increase the lead to 7-0 and St. John complete her hat trick with 14:12 remaining.
Wade would score the final goal of the night with 11:15 to play. After making a nice one-on-one move around a defender, she hit a well-placed shot into the left side of the net for the Lady Generals’ ninth and final tally of the evening.
St. John, who also added an assist, would go on to be named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player as Heritage won a 13th consecutive NGAC tourney title. Zoe Parham collected two assists
in the win, while Emilie Freeman, Victoria Gray, Lilly Krajesky, Jane Smith and Kinsey Woodard. were named as defensive standouts. Abercrombie finished with two saves.
The Lady Generals went 3-0 in the tournament by a combined score of 24-0 to finish 10-1 in NGAC play this season.
Jimenez made 17 saves for the Lady Warriors.
Trion boys 2, Heritage 0
In the nightcap, the Generals and the Bulldogs, who shared the regular-season conference title in part because of a 2-2 draw in the season-opener on March 1, thrilled fans with another fast-paced and, at times, physical contest up and down the field.
Trion stunned the Generals just 2:30 minutes into the match as
Meisner Perez headed in the initial goal of the game. Heritage would get a good look at the equalizer with 18:30 left in the half, but a long shot sailed just wide of its target and the Bulldogs eventually took a 1-0 lead into intermission.
Trion threatened to add to the lead early in the second half, but an incredible individual effort by Heritage keeper Cooper Chappelear kept the score at 1-0. Chappelear went up high to get a hand on a hard, rising shot, which deflected off the crossbar. Trion quickly pounced on the rebound, but Chappelear showed incredible agility by diving to his left to knock away the follow-up shot.
Five minutes later, Bulldog keeper Lane Harris got his chance to shine. He made an initial save and then hustled to his left to grab a loose ball before pair of Heritage strikers could knock home the deflection.
Trion finally got a little breathing room with 13:49 left to go. This time it was Andy Ramirez scoring on a set piece off a corner kick to increase the Bulldogs’ advantage to 2-0.
Heritage was unable to redirect a dangerous ball in front of Trion’s goal with 11 minutes to go and Harris had to come off his line to corral a free kick by the Generals with 3:45 remaining.
A third Trion goal would be disallowed on offside call with 3:16 to play, but the Bulldog defense would do its job and keep the Generals off the board the rest of the way to complete the shutout and claim the title.
Ramirez was later named as the tournament’s MVP.