Cedartown looks for playoff berth

The Cedartown girls soccer team has struggled in recent seasons, but the Bulldogs are in the thick of the playoff race this year behind the play of high-scoring senior Adilene Campos.

Cedartown is 4-3 in the six-team Region 5-AAA this season. The top four teams in each region qualify for the playoffs, which begin the last week of April.

Campos has scored 82 goals despite missing her junior season because of a broken leg. She scored 33 goals in 14 games as a freshman and added 20 goals as a sophomore and was named to the Rome News-Tribune’s all-area first team both years.

“Adilene Campos is a wonderful student and player,” coach Randall McDowell said. “I’ve had the pleasure to be her teacher and her coach this year. She is a valuable asset to the team. She mentors the younger players and of course is the leading scorer on the team.”

McDowell said Campos is undecided on a college but visited LaGrange and Shorter and has offers from NCAA and NAIA schools.

Region leaders: Fifthranked Grayson (11-3, 6-0) moved into sole possession of first place in Region 8-AAAAAA with a 3-0 victory Thursday against Parkview. Grayson, the state runner-up last season, got two goals from Ella Stevens and one from Jennifer Westendorf, who was the AJC’s state player of the year last season as a sophomore. Grayson has been off this week for spring break but faces a big test Saturday, when it hosts 10th-ranked Collins Hill (10-2, 5-0), the leader in Region 7-AAAAA.

Coweta Cup: East Coweta picked up victories against Newnan and Northgate last week to capture the Coweta Cup, the annual competition among the county’s three GHSA schools. Morgan Haase scored both goals for the Indians in a 2-1 victory against Northgate that clinched the championship. East Coweta beat Newnan 4-1 two days earlier, and Northgate beat Newnan 4-1 to open the competition. Fourth-ranked East Coweta (13-1) has won seven consecutive games and clinched second place in Region 3-AAAAAA. Northgate, ranked No. 3 in Class AAAAA, has lost two of three games since starting the season 12-0.

National rankings: Harrison remained in the No. 1 spot nationally among spring girls teams in the updated rankings released Tuesday by the National Soccer Coach Association of America. The Hoyas were joined in the top 20 by Georgia teams Marist, which fell two spots to No. 7, and McIntosh, which was unranked in the preseason poll. Two other Georgia teams — Northgate and Westminster — were ranked in the preseason but fell out of the top 20 this week. In the Region II rankings (made up of Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama schools), Harrison is No. 1, Marist is No. 2, McIntosh is No. 3, Westminster is No. 6 and St. Pius is No. 8. Harrison returns to action Saturday at Oak Mountain, Ala., which is 16-3-1 and No. 10 in the Region II rankings.