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Soccer: Previews of boys first-round state playoff matchups
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Lambert's Hayden Fontana heads the ball towards goal during the Longhorns' game against South Forsyth on Feb. 26, 2019 at South Forsyth High School. - photo by Ian Frazer
Updated: April 22, 2019, 6:17 p.m.
Lambert vs. Rockdale County

When, where: Wednesday, 8 p.m. at Lambert

Records and seedings: Lambert is 16-1-0 and the No. 1 seed from Region 5-7A; Rockdale County is 7-8-0, the No. 4 seed from Region 8-7A

What to know: The Longhorns are not without a slip-up this season, having fallen 2-1 to North Gwinnett on April 9. But in their games after spring break, they came away with four comfortable wins, and the Bulldogs look like a reasonable opponent out of a not-great region.

What’s next: Central Gwinnett or Collins Hill in the second round

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West Forsyth's Nick Fresquez and Forsyth Central's David Nunez compete for a ball during the teams' game on March 5, 2019 at West Forsyth High School. - photo by Ian Frazer
 

Forsyth Central at Archer

When, where: Wednesday, 8 p.m. at Archer

Records and seedings: Central is 12-5-0 and the No. 3 seed from Region 5-7A; Archer is 9-6-2 and the No. 2 seed from Region 8-7A

What to know: The Bulldogs are a fairly hard-luck No. 3 seed, as losses to Milton and South Forsyth ultimately did them in and took away the possibility of a first-round home game, but Central also beat both of those teams at some point in the region schedule. They’ve been hot late, winning five of their last six games, with a competitive 2-0 loss to Lambert being the only defeat. Archer has been a quality squad as well, excluding a baffling loss to Shiloh to start region play, so this should be a competitive match.

What’s next: Peachtree Ridge or Lakeside-DeKalb in the second round 

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South Forsyth's Andrew Shah pursues a ball down the left flank during the War Eagles' game against West Forsyth on Feb. 22, 2019 at South Forsyth High School. - photo by Ian Frazer
 

South Forsyth at South Gwinnett

When, where: Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. at South Gwinnett

Records and seedings: South is 6-7-1 and the No. 4 seed from Region 5-7A; South Gwinnett is 10-3-2 and the No. 1 seed from Region 8-7A

What to know: The War Eagles, like last year’s state runner-up, don’t score too much. Their top tally for a game is three – which they’ve done twice this season – but more importantly, they are again rock-solid in the back, allowing more than two goals just once, against Lambert on March 22. The Comets are very good, and they’ve won nine straight, but they haven’t been utterly dominant. Some early results, like a 1-1 draw to North Forsyth, show that they aren’t infallible.

What’s next: Mill Creek or Meadowcreek in the second round