For just the second time in program history, Habersham Central High School’s varsity soccer team is headed to the Sweet Sixteen round of the Georgia High School Association state playoffs after a 10-0, mercy-rule victory over first-round opponent Paulding County High School.
The Lady Raiders (14-2) are headed back to the second round of the state playoffs after making it that far in 2022 and will, yet again, face the roadblock of a defending state champion.
Region 7 No. 2 seed Roswell High School (12-3-1) won their first-round matchup against Region 6 No. 3 seed Creekview, 4-1, in Roswell Thursday. In their 2023 season, the Hornets were the No. 4 seed and won every playoff game by at least two goals on their way to lifting silverware to end the year.
HCHS’s 2023 season ended against 2022 champion Lassiter, 5-0.
“I’m hoping this year we can make a better impact in the game next week against the defending state champs again,” Lady Raiders Head Coach Jeff LaBarbera said. “We’re going to have to be on our A-game. We’re going to work like crazy next week to get to that point and try to compete with them and get the win.
“Even though we’re a No. 1 seed, it’d be a huge upset for us to beat them,” he continued.
Next Thursday will be the first time the Lady Raiders have hosted a Sweet Sixteen playoff matchup.
LaBarbera took over the varsity girls in 2018. They didn’t make the playoffs that season, but they’ve made it every year since.
“If you know the history of our program, we’ve never done well in the playoffs,” LaBarbera said. “This is our seventh time (going to the playoffs as a program). Before I took over, we only went to the playoffs twice, so we’ve consistently gone into it, but now we’re at the point where we’re starting to make an impact in the playoffs.”
LaBarbera’s squad certainly made their mark on Thursday as they jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back.
Less than nine minutes into the game, juniors Abigail Hotard and Paisley Cathey each had a pair of goals and put the game well out of reach for the Lady Patriots (11-6).
Just 2 minutes, 4 seconds into the game, Cathey ripped a shot at the Paulding County goalkeeper and Hotard followed the deflected ball to make sure it found its way to the back of the net.
Then, another 2 minutes, 4 seconds later, Cathey scorched another shot from around 30 yards and didn’t give the keeper a chance to knock this one away. She found the left side of the goal to net the first of her five goals in the contest.
Hotard found the back of the net again for her second and final goal of the game just 2 minutes, 20 seconds later. This time, she followed her own initial shot that was parried away by the keeper.
Two minutes, 3 seconds later, Cathey slid a cheeky, but effective ball across the face of goal and into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Cathey would score again halfway into the 18th minute of play, this time dribbling the ball through four defenders for a solo effort. Again, she slotted the ball past the face of the keeper with her right foot and put the ball into the left side netting.
Just over a minute later, fellow junior Annabelle Clark crossed the ball from the right touchline to the center of the field to find Cathey, who took two touches before knocking it home.
In the 24th minute, Cathey found senior Addi Banks for her first goal and Cathey’s first assist of the contest. Banks took three touches and hit the ball into the right side of the goal.
Sophomore Emylie Nichols found her way onto the scoresheet with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game thanks to an assist from freshman Madie Wilbanks. The goal put the Lady Raiders up 8-0.
With just over two minutes left to play, Banks found Cathey from the right side of the field. Cathey took one touch to her right to sidestep a defender and set up her strong right foot, yet again finding the left side netting.
The Lady Raiders would close out the game with 13 seconds left on the clock in the first half as Cathey played the ball into the 6-yard box from the right side and found Banks waiting at the back post to slot the ball home.
With that goal making the 10-0 mercy rule, Banks immediately threw both of her hands in the air and yelled, “That’s it!” But the game has to play out the first half despite the score, so, after a few pinball pings around the field, the final horn and whistle sounded.
“That was real fun,” LaBarbera said. “It was fun just in the fact that we played our game. We didn’t play down to their level. We just really tore them apart and that was just fun to see.”
The head man said he was nervous about his team playing in the heat as almost every game they’ve played this season has been in cold, windy, or rainy weather. Thursday’s mid-80s temperatures mirrored an early summer day.
The special year for the squad seems to get better as the days go on.
Thursday’s five-goal performance put Cathey’s name further into the Raider record books. Earlier this year, she passed the previous girls single-season scoring record. Then, she passed the career scoring record for the boys or girls programs, which she keeps tacking on to. Now, she owns the single-season scoring record for either the boys or girls programs as well, marking her 40th goal.
“She got rolling early and that was key for her. She really stepped up big,” LaBarbera said. “She’s so fun to watch when she’s on her game and doing the things she does. Like I said last week, she’s just a special player. She was fun to watch when she was 9 years old and she’s still fun to watch now.”
Also setting records this season is the Lady Raiders’ defense, which has allowed just 15 goals in 16 games this season. No other team in program history has allowed less, according to LaBarbera.
Against the Lady Patriots, they only allowed one shot on goal, which senior goalkeeper Riley Wilson collected with ease.
“Our unsung heroes are on our defense,” LaBarbera said. “We lock people down. We’re quick, we’re fast. Our defense is probably the best one we’ve ever had. They’re so good together, they work so well together, they limit the opponents’ opportunities. They’re a little special group within the group.”
Now the focus turns to playing the Lady Hornets from Roswell. But regardless of what happens in that contest, this season has already been one for the record books.
“This was obviously the biggest playoff win we’ve ever had,” LaBarbera said. “This season is just so special. There’s no way we’ll ever top this one… not for a long time anyway.”
Looking ahead, the winner between HCHS and Roswell will move on to the Elite Eight to play the winner of Region 3 No. 1 Woodward Academy (8-4) and Region 4 No. 2 North Atlanta (12-2-2). Woodward Academy beat Evans, 9-2, and North Atlanta beat Houston County, 10-0, in their first round matchups.
A start time for the Sweet Sixteen matchup between the Lady Raiders and Lady Hornets has not yet been determined.
