Lakeside’s Bryan Zetina (11) races upfield in Region 4-6A play late in the regular season against Dunwoody. The Vikings advanced to the Elite. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Lakeside Vikings went on the road to South Effingham on Thursday night and came away with 1-0 victory to advance to the Class 6A state soccer playoffs Elite 8.
Fernando Garcia blasted a shot from 30 yards to the far post to sneak it into the goal to give the Vikings (8-8-3) what would turnout to be the winning score.
The two teams played the next 55 minutes without a goal as the two defenses bore down to keep the score at 1-0.
Lakeside lost one player due to injury in the game and another to a red card to finish the game with just 10 players on the field while holding off South Effingham (14-4-1).
The Vikings move on to face No. 4 ranked Blessed Trinity (16-3-0), a 1-0 winner over South Paulding on Thursday night. The two play at Blessed Trinity on Tuesday (April 25) with a time yet to be determined.
In other Class 6A action, the Dunwoody Wildcats (10-9-1) fell 3-1 to No. 9 Glynn Academy in Brunswick. The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead on a David Del Rio goal 20 minutes into the first half to go up 1-0. The score would remain the same until the half ended.
Glynn came out after halftime and put up three goals to take the win.
Druid Hills Owen Griesweoo (17) splits a pair of defenders in playoff action against North Oconee. (Photo by Mark Brock)
CLASS 4A
North Oconee pulled off its second Top 10 upset of the Class 4A state playoffs with a tough 1-0 victory over the Druid Hills Red Devils at Adams Stadium on Thursday night.
Druid Hills goalkeeper Alex Garcia Perez had four saves in the first half as the two teams battled to a 0-0 tie at the break.
The score was still knotted a 0-0 as the game clock ticked under 10 minutes and North Oconee (8-6-0) in possession. A corner kick was forthcoming, and Perez deflected the kick only to have North Oconee’s Jack Eastman behind him to head the ball just under the cross bar for the score with 9:49 to play.
Druid Hills had three solid chances late in the game but North Oconee goalie Riley Phelan came up saves on all three shot attempts. One Druid Hills shot was right in front of the goal with 5:30 to play and Phelan was able to dive and tip away to prevent the game from being tied. He finished with five saves in the second half and seven overall.
Druid Hills finishes the season 13-6-1 overall and as the runner-up in Region 6-4A.
In other Class 4A action involving a DeKalb team, the No. 10 ranked Clarkston Angoras dropped a tough 2-1 overtime decision to No. 4 East Hall at East Hall on Thursday night.
The two teams battled to a 0-0 tie at the half and finished regulation knotted at 1-1. Neither team scored in the first overtime period to head into the second overtime still locked up at 1-1.
East Hall (13-3-0) scored early in the second overtime and held on for the 2-1 win over the Angoras (13-5-2).
DCSD STATE SOCCER PLAYOFFS RESULTS
Thursday, 4/20
CLASS 4A BOYS SECOND ROUND
AWAY
East Hall (13-3-0) 2, Clarkston (13-5-2) 1 OT
ADAMS STADIUM
North Oconee (10-6-0) 1, No. 7 Druid Hills (13-6-1) 0
CLASS 6A BOYS
Glynn Academy (19-1-0) 3, Dunwoody (10-9-1) 1
Lakeside (8-8-3) 1, South Effingham (14-4-1) 0
DCSD STATE SOCCER PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE
Monday, 4/24
CLASS 5A GIRLS QUARTERFINALS
No. 1 Chamblee (18-0-1) at No. 3 Cambridge (12-1-1), 6:30 PM
Tuesday, 4/25
CLASS 5A BOYS QUARTERFINALS
Chamblee (7-8-2) at No. 2 Dalton (17-2), 6:30 pm
CLASS 6A BOYS QUARTERFINALS
Lakeside (8-8-3) at No. 4 Blessed Trinity (16-3-0), TBA