PEACHTREE CITY – Facing top-rated McIntosh, the Lady Greyhounds knew that a creative and out of the ordinary game plan would be needed to keep the game close.
The Chiefs are year in and year out among the state’s best, and this year’s squad is no exception, so slowing them down was a tall task. McIntosh, which blanked JCHS in last year’s second round 9-0, found the going tougher this time, leading just 1-0 before a corner kick late in the first half made it 2-0 at half on the way to a 4-0 loss for the Lady Hounds.
“Essentially, McIntosh is the best team in the state in my opinion, hands down. We knew that we weren’t going to have a lot of opportunities to score, so the best thing we could do is shut them down,” Lady Greyhounds head coach Mikayla Greene said. “We went in with a game plan that everybody was playing defense. (The thinking was) We might not score a goal, but we’ll make it really hard for them to.”
For the JCHS seniors, who after the game ended exchanged plenty of hugs and reflections with one another and coaches, the match concluded with the Lady Hounds fighting for any available advantage, even when the outcome was well known.
“I’m super proud of how the girls played. I subbed as much as I could to give them rest,” Greene said. “When you hold the best team in the state 4-0, you’re doing something eight considering you’re a four seed.”
Down 2-0, second-half goals by the Chiefs, one via a run along the far side and another off a rebound made it 4-0, ending the careers of a Greyhounds senior class whose careers have included a first state tournament win in program history and multiple trips to the state tournament.
With the season now going into the offseason, the Lady Greyhounds returners will be charged with replacing key players such as Megan Hamilton on defense, Taylor Trefelner in goal and top offensive threats Emily Brennaman and Reagan Hicks.
