Dalton girls, Creek and Christian Heritage boys head into tennis playoffs as region champs
Apr. 12—The field is set for the 2024 GHSA tennis state championship tournament, and three Whitfield County teams will enter the chase for a state title as region champions.
The Dalton High girls, Christian Heritage boys and Coahulla Creek boys all won respective region championships to grab the top seed for the region in the playoffs and home-court advantage through two rounds of playoff action.
The Dalton High girls took the Region 7-5A title after entering the region tournament as the second seed. Dalton took down Cartersville in the semifinals to move on to the championship match. The Lady Catamounts upended top seed Calhoun in the finals to take the championship.
Dalton will host Northside in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs next week. Should the Catamounts win, they'd play the winner of a first-round match between Villa Rica and Jefferson.
Christian Heritage took first place in boys Region 7-A DII, getting past second-seeded Bowdon. The Lions grab the top seed for the Region in the A DII playoffs and will get a bye in the first round, since Region 6 did not have enough competing teams to send a fourth team to the playoffs. In the second round, the Lions will play the winner of a match between Wilkinson County and Lake Oconee Academy.
Coahulla Creek won the boys Region 6-3A tournament, knocking off Bremen to take the title. The Colts will get Pickens, the fourth-seeded team from Region 7-3A in the first round. With a win, Creek would host either Stephens County or Cedar Grove in the second round.
Several more local teams qualified for the chase for the state championships, which will be held on May 11 in Rome.
A DII
While the Christian Heritage boys took a region title, the Lady Lions also are headed to the playoffs on the girls side. Christian Heritage, the defending Class A DII champion, is the second seed in Region 7-A DII and will host Furlow Charter in first round. The Lady Lions came in second in the region to Bowdon.
2A
Both Murray County and North Murray are headed to the Class 2A tennis state playoffs. Murray finished second in Region 7-2A, while North Murray was third, both finishing behind region champion Model. Murray County gets North Cobb Christian at home in the first round of the state playoffs, while North Murray will have to hit the road to play against Walker in Marietta.
North Murray's girls are bound for the Class 2A state playoffs too after taking third place in Region 7-2A. North Murray will travel to play Mount Paran Christian in the first round of the playoffs.
3A
Alongside the region champion Coahulla Creek boys, the Creek girls qualified for the Class 3A playoffs by grabbing the third seed in Region 6-3A. The Lady Colts will travel to play Dawson County in the first round of the state playoffs.
4A
The Northwest Whitfield boys finished as the third seeded team from Region 7-4A and will head to Holy Innocents' in Atlanta in a first-round matchup in the Class 4A first round.
The Lady Bruins from Northwest Whitfield secured the fourth seed in Region 7-4A to clinch a state playoff berth. Northwest will travel to top-seeded Westminster in Atlanta in the first round.
5A
Dalton's boys will join the girls team in reaching the Class 5A state playoffs too. Dalton finished third in Region 7-5A and will travel to Chattahoochee for the first round of the state playoffs.
