Walton Boys Tennis Reaches Semifinals

While the girls tennis team's streak of eight consecutive Georgia High School Association state titles has ended, the boys are still alive. 

The Raiders will face off against Westlake in one of today's Class AAAAA semifinal matches after downing Milton earlier this week. In the other half of the bracket, North Cobb plays Alpharetta. 

Today's winners meet tomorrow for the state championship. All the matches are at Clayton County International Park in Jonesboro. 

Tonight at Raider Valley, the defending state champion Walton boys soccer team puts its title on the line in a quarterfinal game with Gwinnett powerhouse Parkview at 8 p.m.

The Raiders got off to a slow start in their first season under coach Bruce Wade, who succeeded longtime coach Bucky Boozer. But as Score Atlanta explained, Walton began turning its season around with wins over East Cobb rivals Lassiter and Wheeler. 

In its first two state playoff games, Walton has outscored Northview and Kennesaw Mountain by a combined 12-0. Lassiter is still alive in the quarterfinals and plays Brookwood tonight. 

The baseball team got a sterling pitching performance from Ben Levine on Thursday to defeat Northgate 4-1 and advance in the Class AAAA baseball tournament. 

The Greyhounds, who are 24-7, meet Loganville in the quarterfinals. 

Two East Cobb athletes earned runner-up finishes in the first day of the GHSA boys track and field meet in Albany. Pope's Austin Card was second in the Class AAAA high jump and Wheeler's Travis Redmond was second in the Class AAAAA triple jump. 

The meet continues through Saturday. 

On Saturday, lacrosse swings back into action as the Pope boys play host to Lovett in the Class A-AAAA quarterfinals and Walton girls face Newnan in the Class AAAAA quarterfinals.