Buford, Lambert boys, West Forsyth, Milton girls advance to championships; semifinals lacrosse coverage from Friday

No. 3 West Forsyth 11, No. 4 Walton 5

West Forsyth is back in the state championship game after holding Walton to its lowest scoring output of the season. The Lady Wolverine got out to a quick start leading the Walton 4-1 early on making it tough for them to score. West Forsyth has scored in double-figures in each game this postseason. Offensively, they have been led by sophomore attacker Bryn Birkholz who had 76 goals this season. The Lady Wolverines will look to avenge their state championship loss from a year ago.

No. 1 Milton 13, North Gwinnett 3

The defending state champion Milton Eagles are back in the title game and will look to go for a state championship record 17th title next weekend after a 13-3 victory against North Gwinnett. The Lady Eagles used a dominant start to take control of the game jumping out to an early 10-1 lead. Milton played one of their best defensive games holding their opponent to three goals, their second lowest total given up this season. The Lady Bulldogs won three consecutive games before losing in the semifinals and had a thrilling win against Hillgrove 6-5 in the quarterfinals.

7A Boys

No. 3 Buford 15, No. 1 North Paulding 12

Buford’s come-from-behind victory over top-ranked North Paulding handed the Wolfpack its first loss of the season. The Wolves came back from an early 4-1 deficit in the game but turned it around and got the offense going and held a 14-11 lead late in the game before securing the victory. Buford was able to do something no other team could do against North Paulding, reach double-digits. It was the first game the Wolfpack allowed a team to get double-figure goals in a game all year. North Paulding had a phenomenal season and had their most wins since 2021-2022.

No. 2 Lambert 8, No. 4 Walton 7

Lambert holds on to punch their ticket back to the state championship after winning a thriller against Walton. The Longhorns held a 8-5 lead early in the fourth quarter before Walton answered back with two unanswered goals with 3:20 left in the game. Lambert’s defense was able to hold on and secure the victory in thrilling fashion. Lambert is the second winningest program in GHSA history and will look to tie Westminster for the most next weekend. Walton put up a valiant effort and came close to knocking of the state runner-ups from a season ago.

5A-6A Girls

No. 1 Blessed Trinity 15, No. 5 Creekview 12

The four peat is still alive for Blessed Trinity after they picked up a close 15-12 victory against a tough Creekview team. It was a highly competitive game that featured several lead changes. It was 10-10 at one point before Blessed Trinity scored four unanswered goals and were able to pull away. Creekview has another successful season. Although the Lady Grizzlies don’t have any state championships yet, they are starting to become a staple program winning 18+ games in the past three seasons with deep playoff runs. They challenged one of the best teams in the state on the road and fought until the end.

The Titans await the No. 3 Cambridge vs. Chattahoochee winner match Saturday.

5A-6A Boys

No. 1 Roswell 17, No. 5 Alpharetta 10

Defending state champion Roswell will defend their crown in the state championship game after a 17-10 victory against Alpharetta. The Hornets jumped out to an early 10-3 before both teams finished 7-7 at the end. Roswell secured its second consecutive 20 win season and its second highest scoring output in the postseason. It’s been a decorated season for the Hornets and they will look to close it out with a two-peat next week. Alpharetta had one of its best seasons since 2007-2008 where it won 18 games.

Centennial 10, No. 6 Blessed Trinity 8

Centennial avenged their loss and pulled off one of the biggest stunners of the weekend to advance to the state championship game beating Blessed Trinity. The Knights lost 9-7 in their matchup on April 13th. Centennial will be seeking its second state championship in program history and first since 2013. Centennial endured multiple four-game losing streaks this season but got hot at the right time winning six consecutive games to make it to the title game beating notable teams along the way. Blessed Trinity battled in a back-and-forth game but came up short.

A-4A Girls

No. 2 Wesleyan 14, No. 8 Starr’s Mill 5

Wesleyan used a dominant second half to move past Starr’s Mill and will look to win their first state championship in program history next weekend. After holding a 5-3 lead at halftime, the Lady Wolves out scored Starr’s Mill 9-2 in the second half. Wesleyan has had a dynamic offense scoring in double-figures in every game except against Fellowship Christian, where they suffered their first loss of the season. For Starr’s Mill, it was their second consecutive winning season and area title before losing to Wesleyan in the semifinals.

No. 3 Westminster 19, No. 5 East Forsyth 6

Westminster inched one step closer in their pursuit of its fifth state title in program history after a 19-6 win against East Forsyth. The Lady Wildcats offense has been great all season, especially during the playoffs. Westminster hit 20 goals in their first two games and outscored their opponents 61-24 during the playoff run. For East Forsyth it was their third lowest scoring output on the season. The Lady Broncos had their best season in program history and made their first semifinals ever. They were led by senior Allie Gray who scored 58 goals this season.

A-4A Boys

No. 8 Wesleyan 10, No. 1 Starr’s Mill 9

Attacker Munch Jones hits the game-winning goal with 13 seconds left to lift Wesleyan past Starr’s Mill in a 10-9 victory. Attacker Broder Conely tied it up for the Wolves to give them the chance to win it at the end. Starr’s Mill held a 5-3 halftime lead after scoring three unanswered goals before the break. The second half proved to be an exciting one that came down to the stretch before the thrilling finish. Wesleyan will look to win its first ever state championship in program history. For Starr’s Mill it was their most wins in a season since 2017-2018 when they won 17 games.

Westminster 12, Oconee County 3

The defending state champions will get a chance to defend their crown after a 12-3 victory against Oconee County. The Wildcats pitched a first half shutout and held Oconee to single digits. Westminster has now won four consecutive games. During the postseason stretch, the Wildcats have held opponents to an average of five goals. A welcome sight is that Westminster hit double-digits for the first time since April 11th against Blessed Trinity. Oconee County was another team that had a tough stretch losing six consecutive games early in the season but turned it around. The Warriors won five consecutive games and made it to their first ever final four in school history before their loss to Westminster.