Playoff update: Macon private schools make baseball and soccer semifinals

The GIAA playoffs are in the semifinals this week, and multiple Macon teams advanced to the penultimate round of their respective state tournaments.

Two of Macon’s most dominant squads moved on with ease, as the Stratford and Central Fellowship girls soccer teams won in the second round in the GIAA Class 4A and 2A tournaments. Stratford defeated city rival Mount de Sales 7-0 while CFCA got a 2-0 win over a talented Gatewood squad.

The FPD Vikings, the No. 1 seed in the GIAA Class 4A baseball tournament, needed three games to dispatch with No. 8 Strong Rock, but FPD got the job done behind a great pitching effort from newcomer Harrison Strange in Game 3.

The Vikings will face No. 4 Athens Christian, which dominated No. 5 Tattnall to eliminate the Trojans from the playoffs. Tattnall lost 9-1 and 20-4 in unexpected blowouts to end their season.

No. 3 Stratford dominated their second-round matchup, thoroughly handling Bethlehem Christian 10-0 and 11-1 to advance. The Eagles seem to be peaking at the right time, but they’ll have to go on the road to face No. 2 Brookstone in Columbus this week in the semifinals. 

Should FPD and Stratford both win, they would meet in the GIAA Class 4A State Championship in Statesboro from May 28-30.

On the soccer side of things, the FPD girls also dominated, defeating Strong Rock 6-1 to reach the semifinals. The Vikings, ranked No. 2, appear on a collision course with the rival Eagles in the championship game, though FPD will have to defeat No. 3 King’s Academy in the penultimate round first. 

Mount de Sales is the last boys team standing, as they narrowly defeated Cristo Rey on penalties to advance. The Cavaliers are the No. 3 seed in the Class 4A bracket.

The other boys teams that were still alive last week, No. 6 Central Fellowship in 2A and No. 7 Stratford in 4A, both lost in the second round.

Here are the matchups for the semifinals this week.

CLASS 4A BASEBALL

• No. 1 FPD vs. No. 4 Athens Christian, TBD
• No. 3 Stratford @ No. 2 Brookstone, TBD

Class 4A GIRLS SOCCER

• No. 1 Stratford vs. winner of George Walton/St. Anne Pacelli, TBD
• No. 2 FPD vs. No. 3 King’s Academy, TBD

CLASS 2A GIRLS SOCCER

• No. 1 Central Fellowship vs. No. 4 St. George’s, TBD

CLASS 4A BOYS SOCCER

• No. 3 Mount de Sales @ No. 2 Brookstone, TBD