Two North Georgia boys’ soccer teams will play in Macon the next two days with one goal on their minds: to win a state championship.
Dalton’s goals have normally come in bunches all season long. Calhoun’s have usually been scored when needed most.
They’ll both need them this weekend.
The nationally top-ranked Catamounts will face Allatoona, ranked sixth in the classification, at 7:30 tonight in the Class AAAAA state championship game at Mercer University. In the Class AAA title game at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, second-ranked Calhoun faces third-ranked West Hall.
The Catamounts have outscored their opponents 28-0 in four state playoff games, not only beating teams but demoralizing them.
They’ll face an Allatoona team that needed penalty kicks to defeat Riverwood in the semifinals. The Catamounts defeated Riverwood 6-0 in the Region 7-AAAAA championship match last month.
“It’s a wonderful thing (to advance to the state championship), but for me, we have to focus on the fact there’s business to take care of,” Dalton coach Matt Cheaves said after Tuesday’s 6-0 dismantling of Greenbrier. “We don’t get time to stop and enjoy the moment.
We have two days to play, so we have to get ready for it.”
Calhoun’s road has been much more difficult. The Yellow Jackets had to sweat out two shootout victories in the playoffs just to advance to Saturday’s match. In Wednesday’s semifinal, Decatur took a 2-0 advantage before the Yellow Jackets rallied, tying the match in the last minute of regulation.
“I told our guys that they don’t have to wait to win matches (in the shootout). They can win in regulation,” Calhoun coach Matt Rice said Thursday. “We knew coming into the match they were a good team, and we had to change some things formation-wise in the second half to get back in it.”
Calhoun fell in the 2014 Class AA state title match. Like Dalton, the Yellow Jackets moved up a classification and they’re right back in the midst of things – only this time they’re looking to take the next step.
“I think being there last year helps a lot,” Rice said. “State championship games are a whirlwind; they’re like anything else, because it’s just go-go-go. I think that last year, we went there to win, but there was the newness of being there for the first time. This year I see a different kind of looks in the eyes. We’re certainly happy to be back, but I think the guys would be fairly disappointed if we leave with another second-place finish.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.