GMC Prep at its May home away from home, playing for another GHSA boys soccer state title at Mercer

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

GHSA soccer championships
Tuesday
Class A Division II Girls/Boys
At Mercer
Girls: Aquinas at Lake Oconee Academy, 5 p.m.
Boys: Atkinson County vs. Georgia Military, 7:30 p.m.
Class A Division I Girls/Boys
At McEachern
Girls: Social Circle at Paideia, 5 p.m.
Boys: Paideia at Atlanta International, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Class 2A Girls/Boys
At Mercer
Girls: Fellowship Christian vs. Mount Paran, 5 p.m.
Boys: Toombs County vs. Model, 7:30 p.m.
Class 3A Girls/Boys
At McEachern
Girls: Oconee County vs. Wesleyan, 5 p.m.
Boys: Hebron Christian vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m.
Class 4A Girls/Boys
At Duluth
Girls: Lovett vs. North Oconee, 5 p.m.
Boys: Johnson-Gainesville vs. Westminster, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Class 5A Girls/Boys
At Duluth
Girls: Greater Atlanta Christian vs. Cambridge, 5 p.m.
Boys: McIntosh at Decatur, 7:30 p.m.
Class 6A Girls/Boys
At McEachern
Girls: Roswell vs. Marist, 5 p.m.
Boys: Sprayberry vs. River Ridge, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Class 7A Boys/Girls
Girls: Buford vs. West Forsyth, 5 p.m.
Boys: Campbell vs. Kennesaw Mountain, 7:30 p.m.

          One team is used to being in this position. That’s GMC Prep.

          Other team, not so much. That’s Atkinson County.

          But the Bulldogs ride with hunger, not overconfidence, although there will certainly be confidence when they take on the Rebels at Mercer in the GHSA Class A/Division II boys soccer state championship.

          It starts at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday as the GHSA’s week of soccer state titles throughout the state begins.

          “Trust me, we don't take being here for granted,” GMC head coach Bobby Jaworski said. “It's our fourth appearance out of the last five seasons (taking out the COVID year), and it's our third time playing at Mercer.”

          Tyler Smith, Owen McCabe, Brian Sherwood, and Ayush Patel have played more than 1,000 minutes. Senior Sherwood leads the Bulldogs with 24 goals, sophomore Tommy Carty with 23 and senior McCabe with 13. Freshman James Portwood adds 11. McCabe has a team-high 17 assists.

          Hayden Wells has 48 saves and has given up 15 goals in 18 games. And he’s a freshman.

          GMC made sure there was a new state champion in A/II by knocking out defending champ Christian Heritage 4-2 in a semifinal. Atkinson County took out Atlanta Classical by the same score.

          Alan Castillo scored twice for the Rebels in the win, which was all but sealed by a superb save in the final four minutes by Jireh Deleon.

          Atkinson County, located in Pearson between Douglas and Valdosta, has losses to Class 6A Lee County, Class 4A Wayne County, and Class 3A Long County.

          That last loss came on Feb. 27, followed a week later by a 1-all tie with Class 5A Coffee. The Rebels then knocked off bigger programs Lowndes and Ware County.

          The teams have one common opponent, Fugees Academy, Atkinson County winning 2-1 and GMC losing 2-1.

          Atkinson County, which reached the semifinals last year before losing has no roster or stats listed on MaxPreps.

          This is a rematch of a 2019 semifinal, when GMC won 2-1, thanks to a 6-5 edge in PKs.

          Atkinson County has scored 80 goals in 19 games to 107 for GMC in 18. Both have given up 15 goals.

          The Rebels are have been in 12 matches – including ties – decided by two goals or less, and are 7-3-2. The Bulldogs are 3-2.

          “They have some good players on each level of their formation,” Jaworski said. “Goalkeeper is comfortable with his feet in possession, back line covers quickly defensively, they transition well in the middle, and look to play over the top in the front.

          “It should be an exciting game.”