Bears fall 2-0 at SAA in region title match
BEARVILLE — Pierce County’s Selah Griffis drilled a penalty kick in the “sudden victory” portion of the Region 3-AA championship Thursday, lifting the Lady Bears to a 1-0 victory.
The match between ScoreAtlanta’s thirdranked Savannah Arts Academy (9-4), riding a sixmatch winning streak with five shutouts, and sixthranked Lady Bears (10-3), who entered with nine consecutives by shutout, ended in a scoreless tie.
PCHS had won the February 20 regular season meeting 1-0 in Bearville over the then top-ranked Lady Panthers.
Neither team scored in the two 10-minute overtime periods. Each team scored three goals apiece (five attempts) in the penalty shootout phase.
Brylee Walker, Aly Yeomans and Maya Cochran netted kicks for PCHS.
Griffis led off the “sudden victory” phase with what turned out to be the game winner. Goalie Isabella Marx, who made several crucial saves during the 80 minutes of regulation, denied Savannah Arts Academy a goal on its final kick.
PCHS will host Coffee in the regular season home finale Tuesday, April 14 with the Lady Bears playing at 5:30 p.m. The Bears face the Trojans at 7:30 p.m.
The Lady Bears are currently ranked 11th in the power rankings released Sunday, April 5 by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) and eighth without three private schools (Hebron Christian No. 1, Holy Innocents - No. 2, and Lovett - No. 5).
Defending 2A champion Pike County (14-2) is the highest ranked public school at No. 3, followed by Sonoraville (No. 4), Union County (No. 6), Coahulla Creek (No. 7), Thomson (No. 8), Drew Charter (No. 9) and Hart County (No. 10).
Boys’ Region championship No. 8 Savannah Arts .............2 Bears....................................0
SAVANNAH — Eighth-ranked Savannah Arts Academy scored a goal in each half in beating the Bears for the Region 3-AA title.
The Panthers (9-5) won their fifth consecutive match finishing off a season sweep of PCHS after notching a 1-0 road win February 20.
The loss ended the Bears’ (10-4) four-match winning streak.
PCHS is currently seventh in the April 5 power rankings. Ahead of the Bears are Columbus, Appling County, Jordan, Thomson, Crisp County and Drew Charter. Savannah Arts is the fourth school in the Top 10 at No. 10.
The state tournaments begin Thursday, April 23.
