Lady Herons beat Bacon, Jeff Davis to win region; host No. 32 Dublin High
VALDOSTA — Brantley County’s Lady Herons,the 2024 Class AA state champions, will enter the Class A Division I playoffs as the No. 1 seed after capturing the Region 1 championship here Wednesday at at McKey Park.
The Lady Herons (175), winners of five region titles since 2017 including the Region 3-AA title last season, knocked off fourth-seed Bacon County 3-0 in the April 16 semifinals and beat second-seed Jeff Davis 3-1 in the finals to garner the top spot in the state tournament via the Georgia High School Power Rankings.
Brantley County posted an 8-0 region mark during the regular season.
The team is led by seniors Brooklyn Wildes, Raylee Strickland and Summer Colley.
BCHS will face 32ndseed Dublin in the opening round of the state tournament.
The winner gets the victor of No. 16 regionmate Thomasville and No. 17 Gordon Lee. Worth County, the 24th seed, is also in the same quadrant and faces ninth-seed Commerce.
Seventh-seed Jeff Davis hosts 26th-seed Jasper County, No. 12 seed Berrien is hosting 21st seed Chattooga and 18th seed Bacon County travels to 15th-seed East Laurens.
Semifinals Lady Herons............3 Bacon County..........0
The Lady Herons dropped just two games in singles action with the doubles competition was called following the third victory.
At No. 1 singles, Wildes recorded a 6-1, 6-0 decision against Ava Conner. Strickland breezed to a 60, 6-0 win at No. 2 over Jess Cartledge. Freshman Haley Jane Smith improved to a program record 260 with a 6-0, 6-1 victory at No. 3 over Morgan Lee.
The No. 1 doubles team of Bri Crews and Colley doubled up Cloe Pless and Braelynn King 6-3 in the first set and led 3-0 in the second when the match was stopped. The No. 2 duo of Harlee Driggers and Savannah Carroll fell 6-2 in the first set and was tied at 1-all in the second against Carly Lankford and Johnni Lyn Tyre.
Finals Lady Herons...................................................3 Jeff Davis........................................................1
Brantley County swept the singles competition to seal the victory over the Lady Yellow Jackets.
Wildes turned back Cori Mims 6-4, 6-1 at the No. 1 spot. Strickland overcame a one-set deficit rallying for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Lila Walters at No. 2. Smith recorded a 6-0, 6-0 decision at No. 3 aainst Ryleigh King.
Colley and Crews fell 6-4, 6-3 at No. 1 doubles to Ava Coleman and Presley Cox. The No. 2 team of Carroll and Driggers were tied at a set apiece with Caitlin Carter and Skye Sellers 6-4, 6-7 (4-7) when the match was called.
