Savannah Arts Academy has fielded some outstanding girls soccer teams over the years, so a preseason goal of making a run at a state championship seems reasonable.
This season, that's no longer enough. The Panthers won't be satisfied by the journey alone.
"We wanted to make a deep run at the state. We wanted to compete," said Jdhordane Williams, who took over as head coach in 2021 after coaching the SAA boys from 2010-18. "One of the mantras we started talking about, about a week and a half ago, was, 'Why not us?'
PHOTO: Savannah Arts Academy head coach Jdhordane Williams paces the sideline during the GHSA Class 2A semifinal vs. Morgan County. (Photo courtesy of SAA Athletics Department)
"The closer you get to it, you start to realize, it's not the run we're after," he continued. "We're actually after a state championship at this point. Let's go ahead and push all the way forward."
The Panthers took the penultimate step on Thursday, beating Morgan County 3-2 in the GHSA Class 2A semifinals at Morris Field at Daffin Park.
SAA (19-2) will face Pike County (21-2, with both losses after regulation) for the state crown on May 16 at 5 p.m. at Mercer University in Macon.
Williams noted that private schools -- who have dominated Georgia boys and girls soccer for years -- now have their own bracket for state playoffs. He said the Panthers have advanced to the state championship game for the first time in the history of the SAA girls and boys soccer programs, but that doesn't mean it's been easy.
After dominating their first two opponents in the state playoffs, the Panthers edged Pierce County 1-0 on Monday and then topped Morgan County three days later.
"The game against Pierce (County) was rough," Williams said. "It was extremely physical. We got beat up pretty well in that game – bumps and bruises, pulled and strained muscles, and stuff like that. Then we had to play against a very physical and tough, tactically sound Morgan County. The fact that we have a week … that gives them enough time to recover physically."
Fast start vs. Morgan County
SAA scored about 20 seconds into Thursday's match when Amelia Tvrdy took Abigail Smith's throw-in as a crossing pass and buried it. The freshman is more of a defensive-minded midfielder, but Williams has encouraged her to "pull the trigger" on scoring chances.
"Amelia is a quality player. She's very humble in the way she plays, but she plays bigger than her size," Williams said. "A lot of what she does doesn't show up on the stat sheet."
Morgan County evened the score about 12 minutes into the match, and that's where it stayed at halftime. Williams said he didn't make strategic adjustments at the break but gave a motivational talk about the desire to win as well as stressing fundamentals.
"Play for each other," he recalled telling his squad. "We had a better attitude in the second half and worked our game plan much better."
Savannah Arts scored the next two goals. Sophomore forward Jordan Gunn, who led the team with 39 goals and 23 assists through 16 games, had a free kick due to a foul following a corner kick. Williams instructed her at halftime that if she gets a chance to do such a set piece on the left side, she should use her instep and aim for the far right corner of the goal.
"She listened," Williams said, estimated the skillful shot was taken 25-30 yards away for a 2-1 edge about 10 minutes into the half.
About 10 minutes later, junior forward Amelia Reci, who had 34 goals in 14 games, made it 3-1 on a chance created from a corner kick.
"Amelia Reci's in the right spot," Williams said. "(The ball) bounces off a couple of players. She finds some composure and does not blast it. She just does an instep volley into the back of the net through traffic."
Morgan County closed to 3-2 on a score with more than seven minutes remaining in regulation, then SAA put more resources toward defense to preserve the lead.
"We kept our composure and realized we just needed to see the game out at that point," Williams said. "(The ball) stayed in the middle third (of the field) for good while. If it wasn't in the middle third, it was going out of bounds."
Williams congratulated the team afterward, saying that when the Panthers lose, it's on his shoulders, and when they win, it's because of the players.
"For any job well done, the reward is going to be more work," he said. "We need to get ready for the final."
Worthy opponents
Pike County of Zebulon has basically mirrored SAA's path to the Class 2A final, and then some. The Pirates rolled through the regular season with few blemishes and crushed playoff opponents, including Coahulla Creek 6-0 in Thursday's other semifinal.
According to MaxPreps, Pike County has outscored opponents 158-10, while SAA has a 147-15 differential. The Pirates have five players with at least 18 goals, and two goalkeepers – sophomore Morgan Wakeman (0.43 goals-against average) and freshman Presli Readdy (no goals allowed in 14 games) – who have been virtual brick walls.
"Pike is a technically sound team," Williams said. "They're disciplined on the back line. They have some real speed out on the edges of the field, so we need to account for that as well. It's going to be a good game."
The coach also has high praise for his entire squad, including goalie Kate Branson, freshman Brooklyn Linstroth, senior Ava Thomas, Reci, Tvrdy and Gunn. Team captains are seniors Serra Olin and Thomas, and juniors Branson and Reci.
"But if you were to ask anybody else on the team who displays a great amount of leadership but might not have the title, it's Jordan Gunn," Williams said. "Jordan Gunn is a coach's player. … She understands what it takes tactically to improve and to make opportunities on the field where maybe those chances might not exist normally.
"Jordy's work ethic is extremely high," he continued. "You have a lot of kids that talk tactics but don't always match it with the work ethic. She does. She matches it."
To help get the players mentally ready for the program's first state final in soccer, Williams can look to seniors Elle Harward-Grant and Thomas, who have been part of two state championship teams for SAA cross country.
He also asked senior Lula Tollison to share with teammates her experience last November when the SAA volleyball team achieved a first in reaching the state final – losing to Morgan County.
"I actually pulled her aside," Williams recalled. "I said, 'Lula, you know better than anyone else on this team what it's like to get that close and to not make it. I want you to talk to the girls about the feelings and emotions going through that moment, and what it felt like in that championship when you felt like things were not going as well. She gave a very honest response to her teammates, and I think that definitely helped."
It might prove to be a competitive edge in the highest-stakes title game. No matter what happens, Williams appreciates how far the Panthers have come.
PHOTO: Savannah Arts Academy girls soccer team huddles up before kickoff during their GHSA Class 2A semifinal win over Morgan County. (Photo courtesy of SAA Athletics Department)
"I'm proud of them and I'm not ready for the ride to be over," he said.
| SAVANNAH ARTS 3, MORGAN COUNTY 2 | |||
| 1 | 2 | Final | |
| Morgan County | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Savannah Arts Academy | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|
GAME SCORING 1st Half 2nd Half |
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| RECORDS: SAA 19-2; MC 14-6 Next Up: Savannah Arts Academy vs. Pike County on May 16 at 5 p.m. at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. |
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Photo Credits: Courtesy Birk Herrath Photography and Savannah Arts Academy Athletic Department
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