Ladies dominate, head to state

The Pike County Lady Pirates soccer team etched their name into school history with a commanding 6-0 victory over the Coahulla Creek Colts on Thursday, May 8 and the team will advance to the GHSA AA State Championship for the first time ever.

The ladies dominated the regular and post seasons this year, outscoring opponents 158-10. In the playoffs, they defeated Appling County 10-0, Stephens County 8-2, Sonoraville 8-1 and Coahulla Creek 6-0.

The Lady Pirates will play for the GHSA AA Girls Soccer State Championship this Friday, May 16 at 5 p.m. at Mercer University in Macon as they face Savannah Arts Academy. The Panthers had a 19-2 season but only defeated their last two playoff opponents by one goal.

In their historic Final Four victory, the Pirates wasted no time asserting dominance, with Sophie Moss scoring in the opening 30 seconds.

Just minutes later, Anna Bottoms found the net, followed by a third goal from Elle Smith within the first five minutes of play, putting Pike up 3-0 almost instantly.

Defensively, Izzy Cuviello made a key recovery in Pike’s box to shut down a rare Colts attack and clear the ball back to the offensive end. Before halftime, Dixie LaCount added to the scoreboard, giving Pike a 4-0 lead at the break.

In the second half, keeper Morgan Wakeman delivered a standout save to preserve the shutout. Sophie Moss struck again to extend the lead to 5-0 and Sydney Cochran capped off the night with a powerful header off a corner kick, securing the final score of 6-0.

On Thursday, May 1, the Lady Pirates took on the Stephens County Indians in the Sweet 16 and delivered a decisive 8-2 win. Just minutes into the match, Pike struck first as the ball was batted around in front of the goal before Sophie Moss finished the job to make it 1-0. Stephens County quickly answered, tying the score at 1-1. The Lady Pirates responded with intensity as Anna Bottoms assisted Jacey Fillingim to regain the lead 2-1, followed by a strong strike from Olivia Park to make it 3-1.
A key moment came with an indirect kick in the box, where Anna Bottoms set up Sophie Moss for another goal, 4-1. Soon after, Pike’s relentless pressure resulted in a chaotic sequence in the box, ending with Moss securing her third goal and extending the lead to 5-1. A penalty against Pike allowed the Indians to notch another goal, bringing the halftime score to 5-2.

In the second half, Moss struck again, making it 6-2. Anna Bottoms then went one-on-one with the goalkeeper and scored with confidence, followed by a late-game assist by Laycee Eubanks and a finish from Piper Jones to round out the 8-2 victory.

On Monday, May 5, Pike faced the Sonoraville Phoenix in the Elite 8 and delivered another commanding performance, winning 8-1.

Both teams came out ready to compete, but it was Pike who struck first and fast. In the opening minute, Anna Bottoms delivered a perfectly placed ball to Sophie Moss, who finished it with authority to take an early 1-0 lead. Bottoms continued to fuel the offense with another assist, this time to Jacey Fillingim to extend the lead to 2-0.

Shortly after, a battle in the box led to multiple touches by the Lady Pirates before Piper Jones found the back of the net for a 3-0 lead. Defensively, Pike remained solid, with goalkeeper Morgan Wakeman making a snag in the box and easily managing all of Sonoraville’s attempts. Pike capitalized on a corner kick late in the half, with Jacey Fillingim rising up to head it in for a 4-0 advantage at halftime.

Coming out of the break, Pike maintained its momentum. Olivia Park quickly scored two goals in succession to bring the score to 6-0. Although Sonoraville earned a penalty kick to put one on the board, Pike’s response came soon after. Laycee Eubanks launched a smooth shot from outside the box to make it 7-1, and Hannah McCart added the final touch with a goal to seal the 8-1 victory.