Albany Herald

Photo by Danny Aller

ALBANY -- Saturday's GISA Class AAA Sweet 16 showdown against Holy Spirit for the Deerfield girls soccer team was supposed to be the beginning of a tough state tournament run.

Instead, the Lady Knights made it look like glorified practice.

DWS routed Holy Spirit, 5-0, to advance to advance to next Saturday's Elite 8 against Stratford -- a team that throttled the Lady Knights, 7-0, two weeks ago.

"We were missing some key players in that game (against Stratford)," said first-year DWS coach Aly Joslin, who was named the Region 3-AAA Coach of the Year this week, while nine of his players made the All-Region First Team. "I think the girls know that we are not the same team today -- with those players back now healthy -- as we were when we lost to Stratford."

The Lady Knights showed that Saturday.

Deerfield got goals from Lacey Kincheloe, Anna Matthews, Bailey Weed and two from Candace Cosby in Saturday's win as they led, 2-0, at halftime and never looked back.

Cosby, Kincheloe, Matthews, along with teammates Katie Williams, Maggie Green, Casey Kincheloe, Sumner Pilcher, Lauren Fulford and Kayla Hatcher were all named to the GISA All-Region First Team.

Williams made two saves in Saturday's win.

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BRENTWOOD BASEBALL 8, SHERWOOD 7 (8):

The Eagles put up one heck of a fight, but eventually fell to arguably the best team in Class AA by one run Saturday -- for the second time in as many days -- this time in extra innings.

"It was a good season and the kids didn't shy away from any competition," said SCA second-year coach Alan McWilliams, whose program ended the year 8-9 after being swept by Brentwood in the first round of the state tournament.

Sherwood's team loses

seniors John Schramm, Adam Snyder, Hunter Hatcher and Robert Wilson, but will get two of its leaders back -- juniors Zane Hood and Clay Wyatt -- to try and rebuild as it makes the jump to Class AAA next year.

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STRONG ROCK CHRISTIAN 7-12, SGA 8-0:

Had it not been for Strong Rock ace Kelsey Moore, the Warriors might be talking about next week and the second round of state.

But after winning Game 2 on Saturday in their best-of-three series -- without Moore pitching for Strong Rock -- the Warriors had to once again deal in the finale with Moore, who no-hit SGA on Friday in Game 1, then shut them down again in Game 3, throwing just four innings of two-hit ball to end the Warriors' season.

Carson Ray got the Game 2 win, but SGA's bats went silent in Game 3 to end their season at 13-7 -- one year after going 7-12.

"All in all, it was a good year and good turnaround," SGA coach Tommy Manry said.