Columbus girls, Pacelli boys prepare for top-ranked teams in semifinals

As the field in the GHSA soccer playoffs has been whittled down to just four in each classification, so too have the area teams participating.

Still, two area teams are alive in their respective divisions as they gear up for the state semifinals.

The Pacelli boys are playing in their second straight Class A semifinals and will face Fellowship Christian at 7 p.m. Tuesday on the road. The Columbus girls are in the final four for the third time in four years and will host Starr’s Mill at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Kinnett Stadium.

No game is easy at this point of the year, and that goes doubly for Columbus and Pacelli as both get the No. 1-ranked teams in their classifications.

Starr’s Mill has won or shared a state title six times since its inception in 1999, including the 5A title last season. This year, the Lady Panthers are 19-2.

Still, that didn’t diminish Columbus coach Rusty Oliver’s confidence or expectations for his own team. He stated after the team’s quarterfinals victory on Saturday that he expects to win this game and be playing for a state championship later this week.

Starr’s Mill has a straightforward approach, Oliver said, playing direct and depending on its set pieces to score.

“We will just have to put 100-percent focus on stopping those,” he said.

Columbus has played well throughout the playoffs, despite a couple of late lapses in the past two rounds. Neither of those instances concern Oliver, who nonetheless said he will stress the importance of playing a full 80 minutes.

“We have played a full season and count our breakdowns on defense on one hand,” he said.

The game was originally scheduled to be played on Tuesday at Columbus State, but was moved due to a GHSA rule that requires a minimum of 2,000 available seats for semifinals games. The change alters a couple of things, namely the size and makeup of the field. The field at the Walden Soccer complex is larger than that a Kinnett Stadium, and is also grass to Kinnett’s artificial turf.

“We are 3-0 at home in the state tournament this year and 29-6 overall,” Oliver said. “We will play where we are told, and we will play well.”

As for Pacelli, coach Nick Fusco said he expects to face an explosive team. One player on Fellowship Christian, Jake Williamson, has scored 49 goals already this season and is just one of a number of quality players.

“Not many teams have been able to stop him from scoring all year, so that will definitely be a challenge,” Fusco said. “They have been ranked No. 1 in our classification for most of the year, so they are the team to beat if you want to win a state championship.”

Obviously, the key for Pacelli will be slowing Williamson down. Fusco said the Vikings plan to force Fellowship Christian to play their style of game, to adjust to them rather than the other way around.

This is the second year in a row that Pacelli will play in the state semifinals, so there is less pressure than there was a year ago. Last year was the team’s first playoff victory since 1998, so it was new territory at the time. That isn’t the case this year.

“This year, we have played with more composure in the playoffs and we are much more comfortable going into the game,” Fusco said.

This story was originally published May 9, 2016 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Columbus girls, Pacelli boys prepare for top-ranked teams in semifinals."