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For the second year in a row, Aquinas girls soccer finishes at the top of the mountain.
The Fightin’ Irish successfully defended their Georgia High School Association Class A D-II state championship, knocking off Lake Oconee Academy 2-1.
“We’ve got some really talented girls,” Aquinas coach Sean Brandes said after the win. “Coaching staff is great; school support is great. I’m still walking on cloud nine.”
Aquinas took a 2-1 lead into halftime and never looked back. Freshman Mary Jane Knight scored the first goal of the game at the 9:32 mark and junior Elle Morris found the net for what would be the game-winner at 32:26. While some of the faces may have changed, Brandes’ tag line for this Aquinas program remains the same.
“Five seniors graduated, we had four players who didn’t play before and we had a freshman score the first goal of the game tonight,” he said. “I keep saying perseverance and toughness, but those are the words that keep coming to mind for this team.”
How Aquinas girls soccer defended its GHSA A D-II state title
Just a few days after squeaking by a tough Towns County team, Aquinas face another familiar foe in Macon Tuesday. Lake Oconee Academy defeated the Irish 3-2 during the regular season and it took everything the Irish players had to change the outcome this time around.
“We knew it was going to be competitive. If we played our game and we started aggressive, which we didn’t do last time, I knew that we would be able to give them a good run,” Brandes said. “Lake Oconee, just like Towns before this, those girls challenged every play and forced our girls to play hard. It’s the true epitome of good sportsmanship and what this is supposed to be about.”
For Aquinas, the 10th win of 2024 capped off a 24-5 record over the past two seasons, just two years removed from an 0-10 mark. A brutal non-region schedule created some growing pains early in the season, but the Irish walked through the flames and came out the other side shining like diamonds because of them.
“We were so used to winning, so it was easier, I suppose. This year’s team, we had a lot of setbacks, we had a rough injury to start the year and they kept on working hard," Brandes said. "I was telling somebody earlier that it’s all about outlook. Nobody lives a positive life with a negative outlook. I told our girls that we’re either winning, or we’re learning. You’ve got to keep that positive mindset. Don’t worry about losing, just stay positive.”
Seniors Katie Welsh, Landry Washington, Emma Kate Noegel and Amelia Donald may be graduating as two-time state champions, but this run from the Fightin' Irish looks to be far from over.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: 'Walking on cloud nine.' Aquinas girls soccer earns second-straight GHSA state title
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