By: Brett Greenberg
ATLANTA, Ga. - The 2021 girls soccer season has come to an end as eight high schools were crowned GHSA state champions, four of which won their first state championship in school history.
In the state’s biggest class, West Forsyth won its first title after beating Lambert 2-1, a team they lost to in the regular season. Lambert finished ranked second in Class 7A, while Roswell ranked third after losing to the Wolverines in the semifinal. Rounding out the top five is fourth ranked Walton who lost to the Longhorns 1-0 in the final four and fifth ranked Brookwood after losing to Lambert in the quarterfinals.
Johns Creek won its first state championship over region-foe Cambridge 2-0 claiming the top ranking. The Bears finish second in Class 6A. Riverwood, who lost to the Gladiators 1-0 in the semis, ranks third. Buford ranks fourth respectively after losing in the final four round to Cambridge 2-1. Rounding out the fifth spot is Houston County who lost to the Gladiators in the quarterfinals.
Blessed Trinity won the program’s sixth championship over St. Pius X 2-1ending the season on a 13-game win streak. The Golden Eagles finished second in Class 5A. 12-time state champion McIntosh finishes third after losing to the Golden Eagles 3-1 in the semifinal. Grady is fourth after losing to the Titans in the final four 4-0. The fifth spot is occupied by Northgate who fell to the Class 5A champions in the quarterfinal round but did not allow a goal in the prior three playoff rounds.
North Oconee won the program’s first state championship with a 3-2 win over the Marist in the Class 4A title game. The War Eagles rank second and the third ranked team is Heritage Catholic after losing to the Titans in the semifinal round. Northwest Whitfield who lost to the War Eagles in the semifinal round round out the top four. The fifth ranked team is the Islands Sharks who are still looking for their first title.
Westminster was crowned champion in Class 3A with a 7-0 rout of Greater Atlanta Christian, moving up seven spots after its state runner-up finish. Oconee County moved down one spot while Lumpkin County, White County and Jackson moved down two spots. Moving up in the rankings were Pike County, three spots and Mary Persons, one spot. Previously unranked North Hall and Southeast Bulloch join the final rankings after elite eight finishes.
This year’s Class 2A Champion was Lovett after defeating previously top-ranked Bremen. Lovett moved up three spots while Bremen fell by one. Pace Academy moved up four spots and Model moved up two spots after final four appearances. Bleckley County was another riser in the rankings, as it moved up two spots. Lamar County and Thomasville fell two spots while Fitzgerald moved down one. After falling in the elite eight, Putnam County and Oglethorpe County finish eighth and ninth in the final rankings.
Atlanta Classical tops the final Class A-Public rankings after a 4-0 win over second seed Armuchee. Towns County and ACE Charter each moved up four spots after final four appearances. Other changes in Class A Public include Irwin County moving up three spots and Commerce and Social Circle falling six spots and eight spots, respectively. Previously unranked Portal and Atkinson County slot in eighth and ninth in this year’s final rankings.
Holy Innocents’ remains the top seed in the final Class A Private rankings after a 2-1 victory over Pinecrest Academy. The Paladins moved up eight spots, marking the biggest change in rankings any team in Class A Private. Other changes included Athens Academy and Stratford Academy falling three spots, Trinity Christian falling six spots and St. Vincents’ moving up one spot. Though previously unranked, Paideia and Atlanta International each made an appearance in the final four and finish ranked third and fourth in the final rankings.
Class 7A
1. West Forsyth 2. Lambert 3. Roswell 4. Walton 5. Brookwood 6. Mill Creek 7. Parkview 8. Harrison 9. Campbell 10. Alpharetta
Class 6A
1. Johns Creek 2. Cambridge 3. Riverwood 4. Buford 5. Houston County 6. Glynn Academy 7. Lassiter 8. Richmond Hill 9. Lanier 10. Lakeside – Dekalb
Class 5A
1. Blessed Trinity 2. St. Pius X 3. McIntosh 4. Grady 5. Northgate 6. Stars Mill 7. Northview 8. Decatur 9. Woodward Academy 10. Chamblee
Class 4A
1. North Oconee 2. Marist 3. Heritage, Catholic 4. Northwest Whitfield 5. Islands 6. Columbus 7. Flowery Branch 8. Lagrange 9. Perry 10. Thomas County Central
Class 3A
1. Westminster 2. Greater Atlanta Christian 3. Oconee County 4. Pike County 5. Lumpkin County 6. White County 7. Jackson 8. North Hall 9. Mary Persons 10. SE Bulloch
Class 2A
1. Lovett 2. Bremen 3. Pace Academy 4. Model 5. Lamar County 6. Fitzgerald 7. Bleckley County 8. Putnam County 9. Oglethorpe County 10. Thomasville
Class A Public
1. Atlanta Classical 2. Armuchee 3. Towns County 4. ACE Charter 5. Screven County 6. Irwin County 7. Commerce 8. Portal 9. Atkinson County 10. Social Circle
Class A Private
1. Holy Innocents’ 2. Pinecrest Academy 3. Paideia 4. Atlanta International 5. Athens Academy 6. First Presbyterian Day 7. St. Vincents’ 8. Whitefield Academy 9. Trinity Christian 10. Stratford Academy
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