Lady Warriors open playoffs next week

The White County Lady Warriors are back in the Class AAA state tournament this year, after finishing the regular season as the No. 3 from Region 7-AAA.

The Lady Warriors have huge task in the first round as they head to Norcross next Tuesday to take on Greater Atlanta Christian.

The Lady Spartans (11-3-3) played for the Class AAA state title last year, falling to Westminster in the championship. This year, it looks like the two teams could be on a collision course again as they enter the tournament at the top of the state rankings.

GAC and Westminster are in the same region, and Westminster, the No. 1 team in the state, won the region title thanks to an undefeated season in region play, including a 6-2 win over GAC, which is ranked No. 2 in the latest regular season poll.

“GAC is a really well-rounded, deep team,” WCHS head coach Megan Runkle said. “Their expectations are to play for the state championship every year. They are used to duking it out with Westminster for the region title and the state title.”

The Lady Spartans' other two losses came to Marist, the No. 2 team in Class AAAA, and Peachtree Ridge, No. 8 in Class AAAAAAA.

Their three ties also were against state powers Blessed Trinity, the No. 2 team in Class AAAAA, Chamblee, the No. 1 team in Class AAAAA, and Holy Innocents, the No. 2 team in Class A Private.

The Lady Warriors, ranked No. 7 in the latest state, poll are one of three teams from Region 7-AAA in the Top 10, along with No. 3 Cherokee Bluff and No. 5 Lumpkin County.

“It's a shame these two regions are matched up in the first round this year,” Runkle said. These are probably the two best regions in the state. This will be our third Top 10 team we've played in the last three weeks, and we should be playing GAC deeper in the playoffs, not in the first round.”

The Warriors have had a potent attack this spring, paced by junior Hazen Ramey, the program's all-time leading scorer. Ramey has scored 44 goals this spring, setting the school record for a single season, and is second on the team with 10 assists.

Nealeigh Broadwell has 10 goals and seven assists, while Adelynn Knight has four goals and seven assists. Lily Gearing has three goals and two assists, Reese Vandegriff has three goals and four assists, and Anna Tatum set the single season assist record with 15 so this this spring. Keeper Gabby Whiddon has recorded 78 saves.

The Lady Spartans have a deep and talented roster, led by senior defender/forward Micah Bryant, who has signed with South Carolina.

“I think we played pretty well against Cherokee Bluff, and we learned in that game some things we need to go when we play a really good team,” Runkle said. “We changed some things after the Lumpkin game and used them against Bluff, and we've tweaked some things since the Bluff game, and we'll use them against Mountain View and see how it goes. We have to go to GAC and play a perfect 80-minute game.”

The Lady Warriors haven't been on the field since March 29 in the region finale, and the Lady Warriors will get some post-spring break work in before the first round, taking on Mountain View, a Class AAAAAAA school in Gwinnett County, Saturday in Lawrenceville.

“It will be a way to knock off the rust after being off for a week,” Runkle said about the game against Mountain View. “It would be two weeks since our last game if went to GAC (next week) without playing someone. We just need to get our feet wet and our bodies moving again.”

Runkle said spring break came at a good time for the team.The players needed some time to rest and get ready for the big matchup next Tuesday.

“We need everyone healthy, and I think we getting there,” Runkle said. “We really needed the week off; we were beaten up in March. We haven't really stopped in a month, so we've tried to focus on recovery since the Bluff game. We've had some girls with ankle injuries, and they are all getting better, and everyone is feeling better. We need to be 100 percent when we get down to GAC.”