By the end of Wednesday’s huge slate of high school playoff games, Newnan’s girls lacrosse team may have not have known it.
But in addition to fighting to keep their own season alive, the Lady Cougars found themselves as the last of four county teams standing in the postseason against lineups from Gwinnett.
They didn’t disappoint.
Newnan senior McKynsey Douglas was denied a fifth goal after an immediate stick check, but four tallies along with steady play throughout the Lady Cougar lineup were as much the difference in a 8-4 victory over North Gwinnett at Drake Stadium.
A soggy Wednesday at Newnan High that began with a 3-0 second-round girls soccer loss to Mill Creek ended with a celebratory mud slide on the Drake Stadium turf that even included coach Robert Skinner.
After watching his team dominate possession after taking a 6-3 halftime lead, Skinner had no problem acknowledging his girls’ request for a face-first victory flop having watched them play keepaway for most of the final 25 minutes. Newnan led from start-to-finish beginning with Douglas’ first tally off a free play just three minutes into the game.
“We didn’t expect to do that, but we took what they gave us,” said Skinner, whose team will either face Walton’s girls on the road or host Centennial while reaching the second round of the GHSA playoffs for the second consecutive year. “We knew coming in they were a good zone (defense) team. I know they weren’t happy about us doing that. But that’s part of the game.”
(To view or purchase photos from this game, please visit http://photos.times-herald.com/mycapture and click on Sports / Lacrosse for the photo gallery.)
Newnan showcased the relatively new sport’s basketball roots on Wednesday like any talented half-court offense could. The Lady Cougars initially used transition passes in the first half to push the lead to 2-0 on Douglas’ second goal and later to 6-3 after a pair of successful shots from senior teammate Maggie McDaniel, who joined Sydney Garmany while posting two-goal efforts.
In the final 25 minutes, however, Newnan seemed happy to control possession for minutes on end, setting up its offense deep in North Gwinnett’s zone with pass after pass and waiting for just the right moment to make a rush at the net.
“Playing basketball was a big help with lacrosse,” said McDaniel, a veteran guard on Newnan’s varsity last winter. “I think we’ve got a lot of balance on this year’s team.”
Nearly 10 minutes passes between Douglas’ third goal off a her interception deep in North Gwinnett territory and her fourth, where she wove in and out between defenders before firing a point-blank shot into the net for an 8-3 lead with 10:46 remaining.
The senior, who also finished with three assists, recently accepted a scholarship offer from Coastal Carolina’s new Division I women’s soccer program while having played several years on Newnan’s varsity volleyball team.
“We knew this would be a little different than last year,” said Douglas, who was the top returning scorer on a team that lost a pair of 50-plus goal scorers including Times-Herald Player of the Year Cessily Skinner. “It’s good to be going back (to the second round).”
Newnan goalie Lindsay Stewart made six saves in goal, including a key stop in the final minute of the first half to keep a three-goal lead at halftime. Hunter Harrison led the defensive effort with two ground balls. McDaniel led the team with four and Douglas and Miranda Wagstaff each finished with three in a balanced effort.
“Much different team than last year,” Skinner said with a smile.
The Lady Cougars, however, are right back in the Class AAAAA Sweet 16.
