The Putnam County girls’ soccer season continues Thursday evening in the first round of Class AA state playoffs.
The Lady War Eagles are the top seed from Region 4 and will face Jeff Davis, the No. 4 seed from Region 1. The Putnam girls hope to advance to the second round for the first time in two years after losing in the opening round last season.
Putnam County (10-4) enters the playoffs on a tear, winning nine straight matches to end its regular season. The Lady War Eagles knocked off non-region opponent Greene County 10-0 last Friday.
“We ended (the regular season) on a high note. It was a great first game back after spring break (against Greene County) working as a team and playing together,” Barling said.
Players such as Lily Frisch, Gracie Bird, Elizabeth Haley, and others contributed to the win over the Lady Tigers.
Barling expects these three seniors to continue leading the team into Thursday’s home playoff match. The long-time coach believes her players are peaking at the right time with the Class AA postseason ahead.
“Those three have been tremendous leaders for us … and it seems like we are learning to play as a team and working together at the right time,” Barling said. “Our girls want to keep playing as long as they can.”
Jeff Davis enters the playoffs with an 8-10 record. In the region, The Lady Yellow Jackets finished behind Fitzgerald, Worth County, and Dodge County, all ranked in the top 10 in Class 2A. So, it’s safe to say they’re battle-tested heading into the match against the Lady War Eagles.
Barling acknowledged she doesn’t want her players to take Jeff Davis lightly because of its uneven record.
“We match up with them pretty evenly on paper,” Barling said. “That’s a tough region down there in South Georgia. It’s better than our region, so we’ll have to see how well we’ll do against them when we take the field.”
Last year, Putnam County lost to lower-seed Toombs County in the opening round. So, one of this season’s primary goals is to at minimum get to the second round, as the Lady War Eagles’ seniors don’t want to end their high-school careers on a bad note.
“These seniors have had some good runs during the postseason early in their careers,” Barling said. “They want to end their careers having gone as far as they possibly could. I believe in them and the rest of our team.”
At this point in the season, Barling has a simple message for her players, which is to “give it their all.”
“It’s the time of the season where you have to fight for everything you get. You have to push through being tired, and push through being sore,” she stressed. “You need to give it your all because if you lose, the season is over. If you want to keep winning, then you’re going to go further into the postseason. Let’s leave it all out there.”
The match between Putnam County and Jeff Davis will start at 5 p.m. Thursday, at Al Reaves Field in Eatonton.