PIAA Class A girls soccer final preview: Freedom vs. Southern Columbia

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, November 15, 2018 | 6:21 PM

PIAA

Girls soccer

Class A

Championship

Freedom (23-1) vs. Southern Columbia (19-4-1)

11 a.m. Friday at Hersheypark Stadium

On the air: PCN-TV

Coaches: Colin Williams, Freedom; Derek Stine, Southern Columbia

Players to watch: Jayden Sharpless, Fr., F, Freedom; Morgan Marks, Jr., F, Southern Columbia

Corner kicks: Michaela Watkins secured Freedom’s first state championship game berth by scoring in double overtime in a 3-2 victory over defending state champ Shady Side Academy in the semifinals Tuesday. Watkins, a senior, had two goals in the win. The Bulldogs won their second WPIAL title in three years this season and enter the PIAA final on an 18-game winning streak. Freedom has scored at least three goals in all but one of its seven playoff games and has scored five or more in six of them. The Bulldogs have outscored opponents 38-8 in the playoffs with three shutouts. They scored 10 or more goals seven times in the regular season and five or more goals in five of seven postseason games. Jayden Sharpless is the team’s leading scorer. Watkins is second on the team in scoring. Myla Sharpless, a Florida Atlantic recruit who missed last season with an injury, scored in the semifinal win. … Karly Renn scored twice to help Southern Columbia, the District 4 champion, defeat East Juniata, 2-1, in its semifinal on Tuesday. The Tigers also topped East Juniata in the District 4 final. Southern Columbia’s only other state final appearance was in 2011, a 2-1 loss to Greensburg Central Catholic. Marks led the team with 16 goals. Maggie Morrison, a junior, has 15 goals, and senior Kari Cambria has scored 11.

Jerin Steele is a freelance writer.

Tags: Freedom