AHSAA SOCCER: MA boys and girls reach championship round

Montgomery Academy’s Katherine Sinco battles Briarwood’s Taylor Lieb for possession during the Lady Eagles’ win in the Class 6A semis at John Hunt Park on Thursday. (Marvin Gentry/AHSAA)

By TIM GAYLE
HUNTSVILLE – Both the Montgomery Academy boys’ and girls’ soccer teams won on Thursday, advancing to the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Class 6A state soccer championship at John Hunt Park on Saturday morning.

It marks the first time in program history that both the girls and boys have advanced to the finals in the same season.

Montgomery Academy senior Kerstin Daniel scored the game-clincher in the penalty kick shootout to lift the Eagles past Briarwood Christian in the 6A state soccer tournament on Thursday.

Montgomery Academy (17-3-2) will advance to its 11th finals on Saturday at 9 a.m., but its first as a Class 6A program. Defending 6A state champion Homewood (22-5-1) reached the finals with a 6-1 semifinal win over Randolph.

The Eagles and Lions played to a 1-1 tie in regulation. Taylor Leib staked Briarwood (17-4-1) to a 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute of the match and Daniel answered about seven minutes later with an assist from Mary Elizabeth Cole.

The game remained scoreless through regulation and two five-minute overtime periods, sending it to a penalty kick shootout tied at 1-1.

Montgomery Academy goalkeeper Norah DeSautels stopped Briarwood’s first two kicks, while the Eagles’ Bae Corley, Katherine Sinco and Sophia Cho sank their kicks for a 3-2 shootout lead. Daniel was the last of the Eagles’ five in the shootout.

She calmly made the shot, turned toward the bench, and then greeted her jubilant teammates.

Saturday’s finals will be the first for second-year Montgomery Academy coach Tate Dean, who is trying to become the sixth MA coach to lead the Eagles to a championship in girls’ soccer.

All the other coaches won titles in 1A-3A, except for Carter Tuck (2018, 2019) and Joe White (2021), who won in 4A-5A. Dean lost in the 4A-5A quarterfinals last year before Montgomery Academy was elevated to Class 6A by the Competitive Balance Factor.

The boys’ soccer team also advanced to the finals, beating Calera 5-0 on Thursday as Lucas Rizzo scored two of the three second-half goals to top Calera. The win marks the first time the Eagles have reached the finals since 2004.

Bobby Eskridge scored the Eagles’ first goal with an assist from Jacob Stubblefield to break a scoreless tie with a little less than 10 minutes remaining in the first half. John Allen Lachney added a second goal with an assist from Win Perry with 2:54 remaining in the first half.

Rizzo scored the first of his two goals just 28 seconds into the second half to give Montgomery Academy a 3-0 lead. Ethan Yi added another goal, followed by Rizzo.

Calera had just two shots on goal. Goalkeeper Owen Johnson had a pair of saves to preserve the shutout.

Montgomery Academy (21-2-1) will play Fort Payne (25-2-2), a 3-2 winner over Homewood, in the 6A finals on Saturday at 11 a.m.

AHSAA 2023 STATE SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS
John Hunt Soccer Complex, Huntsville

Semifinal Results

GIRLS SEMIFINALS
CLASS 6A
Homewood (22-5-1) 6, Randolph (12-4-1) 1 
Montgomery Academy (17-3-1) 2, Briarwood Christian (16-5-1) 1 (2 OT, 4-2 in PK)

CLASS 7A
Sparkman (20-4-0) 1, Oak Mountain (21-4-0) 0
Auburn (14-4-0) 4, Fairhope (12-5-0) 0

BOYS SEMIFINALS
CLASS 6A
Fort Payne (25-2-2) 3, Homewood (18-5-2) 2
Montgomery Academy (21-2-1) 5, Calera (13-3-2) 0

CLASS 7A
Huntsville (14-8-4) 1, Oak Mountain (22-3-2) 0
Daphne (16-3-2) 1, Dothan (23-4-1) 0

Friday’s Pairings
GIRLS SEMIFINALS
CLASS 1A-3A
Susan Moore (22-1-1) vs. Westminster-Oak Mountain (15-5-0), Fri., 9 a.m.
St. James (14-1-2) vs. Cottage Hill Christian (14-4-2), Fri., 9 a.m.

CLASS 4A 
Westminster Christian (13-4-1) vs. Westbrook Christian (16-4-1), Fri., 1 p.m.
American Christian (12-4-0) vs. St. Michael Catholic (17-4-0), Fri., 1 p.m.

CLASS 5A
East Limestone (20-2-1) vs. Springville (19-2-0), Fri., 5 p.m.
Marbury (20-2-0) vs. Gulf Shores (18-9-0), Fri., 5 p.m.

BOYS’ SEMIFINALS
CLASS 1A-3A
Tanner (20-5-0) vs. Westminster-Oak Mountain (11-9-2), Fri., 11 a.m.
Tuscaloosa Academy (19-5-1) vs. St. Luke's Episcopal (20-5-2), Fri., 11 a.m.

CLASS 4A
Westminster Christian (16-6-0) vs, Westbrook Christian (11-9-3), Fri., 3 p.m.
Oneonta (16-7-2) vs. Bayside Academy (15-1-3 Fri., 3 p.m.

CLASS 5A
Guntersville (23-3-1) vs. John Carroll Catholic (18-7-3), Fri., 7 p.m.
Elmore County (9-5-2) vs. Gulf Shores (22-6-0), Fri., 7 p.m.

FINALS
SATURDAY
CLASS 7A Boys
Huntsville (14-8-4) vs. Daphne (16-3-2), 9 a.m.
CLASS 6A Girls
Homewood (22-5-1) vs. Montgomery Academy (17-3-1),  9 a.m.
CLASS 7A Girls
Sparkman (20-4-0) vs. Auburn (14-4-0), 11 a.m.
CLASS 6A Boys
Fort Payne (25-2-2) vs. Montgomery Academy (21-2-1), 11 a.m.
CLASS 7A Boys, 9 a.m.
CLASS 1A-3A Girls, 1 p.m.
CLASS 4A Girls: 1 p.m.

CLASS 5A Girls, 3 p.m.
CLASS 1A/3A Boys, 3 p.m.

CLASS 4A Boys, 5 p.m.
CLASS 5A Boys, 5 p.m.