By Carten Cordell
Cherokee Tribune Sports Writer
The state softball tournaments begin Friday and three Cherokee County teams will look to navigate through the bracket to Columbus and the Elite Eight.
The defending state champions of Classes AAAAA and AAAA, respectively, Woodstock and Sequoyah make a return appearance to the tournament along with 2006 Elite Eight team Cherokee.
"When you get this far, there are no bad teams," Sequoyah coach Todd Morrissey said. "When you play in a 16-team tournament, everybody is there for a reason. That is why they call it the playoffs."
The Lady Chiefs, ranked fourth in the GaSports.com Softball Coaches Poll, went 20-7-2 en route to a runner-up finish in Region 5AAAA behind champion Alexander. Sequoyah will face Ringgold, the No. 3 team from Region 7AAAA, on Friday at Twin Creeks Softball Complex in Woodstock.
"Ringgold is always very well-coached and they have a tradition of winning," Morrissey said. "They play in a good region and we expect a real tight game."
The Lady Tigers went 20-12-1, meeting Sequoyah on Sept. 8 in a 2-1 Lady Chiefs win before placing behind Northwest Whitfield and Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, the state's top-ranked team, in 7AAAA.
"This is why you play the regular season," Morrissey said, "Because at the end of the year, this is the most fun."
Cherokee claimed the No. 3 seed from Region 5AAAA and will square off against Northwest Whitfield on Friday. The Lady Warriors rode a 17-11-1 record to the tournament and are on a five-game win streak that resulted in a berth to the tournament.
The Lady Bruins are 17-14 on the year and took Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe nine innings before falling in the 7AAAA title game.
In Class AAAAA competition at Central Park in Cumming, Woodstock will return to defend its state title as the No. 3 seed out of Region 5AAAAA behind Kennesaw Mountain and North Cobb. The Lady Wolverines are 19-9-1 after sweeping through their bracket in the region tournament.
Woodstock will have tough road, first facing off against Collins Hill, the Class AAAAA state champ in 2005. The Lady Eagles went 19-11-1 on the season, finishing behind Mill Creek for the Region 7AAAAA crown. Should the Lady Wolverines win, a matchup between Region 8AAAAA champ Grayson or Region 6AAAAA's Kell awaits.
The double-elimination tournament will begin at 6 p.m. Friday for the three Cherokee County teams and will conclude Saturday with final games starting at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The GHSA State Softball Championships will take place Oct. 25-27 at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus.
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