DALTON, Ga. — One of the major surprises in Georgia high school sports the past two years was the lack of a soccer state championship banner in Whitfield County.
Dalton, the county seat, was dubbed “Soccer Town, USA” by a 2022 New York Times article, and from 2017-23, each of the six GHSA boys’ programs in the county won at least one state title as Dalton and Southeast Whitfield (three each), Coahulla Creek (two), and Christian Heritage, Dalton Academy and Northwest Whitfield combined for 11 in that span.
So that area going two seasons without one state championship is news, but if Dalton’s 3-0 home win over Northwest Whitfield at Harmon Field is any indication, the title “drought” could come to an end in six weeks.
The Catamounts, who have already clinched this year’s Region 7-AAAA title, improved to 13-1 with the win over Class AAA’s previously undefeated Bruins as Ruben Gongora, Ramon Mendes and Rigo Torres scored goals and Dalton finished with a 24-4 edge in shots.
“We felt like we played a really good game,” said veteran head coach Matt Cheaves, whose tenure includes all seven of the program’s state titles. “We controlled much of the game and we created a lot of chances.”