FHSAA girls soccer playoffs: Ava Touchton stands tall with winning Stanton header

Scoring on a header. For Ava Touchton, it's nearly a brand-new feeling.

"I've maybe had some [headers for goals], but not memorable ones like this," she said.

Measuring just a notch above 5 feet, Touchton stood tall when it counted for Stanton, jumping above the pack to head the eventual deciding goal to defeat Bishop Kenny 2-1 in Friday night's Florida High School Athletic Association Region 1-4A girls soccer semifinal.

Touchton timed her near-post leap perfectly to reach Emma Griner's bending corner kick in the 45th minute, sending the Blue Devils (14-5-2) to their third consecutive regional final.

"After I hit it, I saw that it was going top left, and I started getting all excited," she said.

Stanton felt its first jolt of excitement seconds before halftime. Blue Devils goalkeeper Savannah Yerger grabbed a Bishop Kenny cross and immediately launched a long ball, where senior winger Kimberly Norton raced to put away the opening goal 20 seconds before the break.

Still, a Stanton defense commanded by center backs Peyton Burris and Yuuki Wiesner had to absorb 30 minutes of heavy Crusader pressure, particularly after center forward Eiley Fennell scored for the Crusaders (13-6-1).

"I trust them in a close game," Stanton coach Brian Heggood said, "and I think that came through tonight."

The Blue Devils face a Panhandle trip Wednesday to top-seeded South Walton (15-1), which rolled 7-0 against visiting Fernandina Beach. The Pirates' season ends at 12-5-1. Stanton upset South Walton 1-0 in last year's regionals.

REGION 1-3A

Time to call Episcopal girls soccer the EKG Eagles.

Episcopal won its fourth consecutive one-goal game in postseason, this time 1-0 over visiting Pensacola Catholic (13-7-1) at Jangro Stadium. Senior defender Charlotte Seay, committed to The Citadel, tallied the lone goal for Episcopal (14-6-1).

The Eagles also won narrowly in the district semifinal against Bolles (1-0), the district final against Wolfson (2-1 in overtime) and the regional quarterfinal, also against Wolfson (1-0).

Episcopal next travels Wednesday to Gainesville to meet No. 1 seed P.K. Yonge.

REGION 1-2A

Sydney Schmidt struck her latest hat trick and 14-time state champion St. Johns Country Day punched its 20th consecutive regional final ticket, 8-0 over visiting University Christian (11-3-2). Kaitlyn Sunderhaus, Camila Adame, Reygan Ropero, Cece Nowicki and Bella DeLeon also scored for the Spartans (14-2-5), who have won four consecutive mercy-rule postseason games after playing the toughest-rated regular-season schedule in Florida.

St. Johns plays at home Wednesday in an all-Northeast Florida matchup against Christ's Church, a 1-0 winner against Mount Dora Christian (15-4). Ellie Garces notched the lone goal before halftime and freshman goalkeeper Alexandra Stowell tallied three saves for the Eagles (10-5-1).

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Second-round Jacksonville girls soccer playoff recaps