Friday, April 30, 2004

Everybody wins in the first round of state playoffs

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizenNews.com

Four of the five scheduled first-round state soccer playoff games were played in Fayette County Tuesday and Wednesday night, but it didn’t matter where you were playing if you were a team from Fayette. Only the Fayette County Tigers allowed a goal in a first-round game and they only allowed just the one, defeating Valdosta 7-1.

Starr’s Mill hosted Coffee Tuesday night and won 9-0. The Panthers got a goal from Brian Parsons nine minutes into the first half and added another from Trey Maughan with just over 16 minutes to go in the half, but the score could have been higher as Starr’s Mill missed several scoring opportunities. Coach Mike Hanie told them as much at the half and the Panthers responded with two goals in the first two and a half minutes of the second half, one by Tylar Murphy and one from Wes Kent. Starr’s Mill would add five more goals in the game, two more for Kent to make a hat trick, two for Nick Bugara and one for Corey Cross. Starr’s Mill players who recorded assists were Kent, Murphy, Cross, Riley Phelps, Justin Davis, Kyle Nowicki C.J. Cooper and Chris Metzger.

McIntosh’s boys hit the road Tuesday and traveled to take on Colquitt County. The Chiefs won 6-0 and got goals from Patrick Murray, who scored four, and Ben Reyes and Michael Mateos.

Starr’s Mill will have a home game against Houston County Monday at 8 p.m., while Fayette County will travel to play Warner Robins and McIntosh will take on Glynn Academy (17-0-1) on the road at 7 p.m. A time has yet to be determined for Fayette’s game. If all three teams win, Starr’s Mill would play at the winner of Parkview and Pope, while Fayette County would host the winner of Brookwood and Chattahoochee and McIntosh would host the winner of Kennesaw Mountain and Evans. Those games would be played on Friday, May 7.

The McIntosh Lady Chiefs hosted the Lee County Lady Trojans on Wednesday afternoon and won 15-0, shortening the game by six minutes due to the mercy rule. Though Lee County kept McIntosh off the board for the first 12 minutes, it wasn’t because the Lady Chiefs weren’t trying. Jesse Lenze, who finished with five goals and four assists, had two rocket shots in the first 45 seconds. Lenze got the first goal for McIntosh, which was then followed by a hat trick from Brittany Schneider, with the first goal coming at the 27:34 mark and the third goal coming at the 25:43 mark. Lenze got two of her assists on the hat trick and Joni Vickers added an assist as well. Vickers would add another assist and would score two goals on the day, both of them launched from outside the 18 yard box. Other scorers for the Lady Chiefs were Caroline Austin, Monica Hogan, Kellie Myles and Kelsey Quinn. Austin and Christa Mann also added assists.

Starr’s Mill’s girls hosted Colquitt County on Wednesday night and won 6-0. Tannah Castro had two goals for the Lady Panthers, while Kelley O’Hara added a goal and two assists and Shelley Wegryzyn, Katie Jacobsen and Jessica Taylor each scored a goal. Adrienne Phillips recorded two assists, while Sarah Burke and Jamie Daley each added one. Cindy Westmoreland preserved the shutout for Starr’s Mill.

McIntosh will host Jonesboro Tuesday, while Starr’s Mill will travel to take on Eagle’s Landing. Times have yet to be determined. If both teams win, McIntosh will face the winner of North Gwinnett and Chattahoochee and Starr’s Mill will face the winner of Parkview and Pope. Those games would be played Saturday, May 8.