Lady Colts back in state title game

Philip Barbour to meet Charleston Catholic for third straight year after blanking Point Pleasant, 1-0

BECKLEY -- The Philip Barbour girls soccer team hopes the third time is the charm.

The second-seeded Lady Colts (19-2-2) of head coach Blake Williams will face Charleston Catholic for the third year in a row in the Class AA-A state title game after taking a 1-0 win over third-seed Point Pleasant Thursday night at the YMCA Youth Sports Complex.

Unlike the regular-season meeting between the teams, which ended in a 4-4 draw, Thursday's contest was a defensive battle.

The game was scoreless at halftime before senior all-stater Braylyn Sparks broke the ice with a goal in the 64th minute to give Philip Barbour a lead it wouldn't relinquish.

It was Sparks' 29th goal of the season.

In Thursday's other semifinal, top-seed Charleston Catholic blanked Weir, 4-0, getting a pair of goals from Molly Messer.

Saturday's meeting will be the fourth over the past two season between the Lady Colts and Lady Irish, who won, 4-2, in last year's title game and took the regular-season meeting, 6-1, at home back on Aug. 26.

Charleston Catholic (19-1-2) is seeking a fifth straight state title.

Game time is set for noon on Saturday.

In the Class AA-A boys final at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, top-seed Point Pleasant, a 4-0 winner of fourth-seed Wheeling Central on Thursday, will face second-seed and defending state champion Charleston Catholic, which edged Lewis County, 1-0, in the other semifinal.

State tourney pairings

At YMCA Sports Complex in Beckley

Class AAA

Boys

Thursday, Nov. 2

Semifinals

No. 1 George Washington 5, No. 4 Morgantown 1

No. 2 Hurricane (18-1-2) vs. No. 3 Spring Mills (13-0-3), (n)

Saturday, Nov. 4

Championship

George Washington vs. Hurricane-Spring Mills winner, 12:30 p.m.

Girls

Thursday, Nov. 2

Semifinals

No. 1 Morgantown 2, No. 4 Hedgesville 1

No. 2 Parkersburg South 2, No. 3 George Washington 0

Saturday, Nov. 4

Championship

Morgantown (16-1-2) vs. Parkersburg South (16-2-4), 10 a.m.

Class AA-A

Boys

Thursday, Nov. 2

Semifinals

No. 1 Point Pleasant 4, No. 4 Wheeling Central 0

No. 2 Charleston Catholic 1, No. 3 Lewis County 0

Saturday, Nov. 4

Championship

Point Pleasant (16-3-6) vs. Charleston Catholic (16-4-4), 9:30 a.m.

Girls

Thursday, Nov. 2

No. 1 Charleston Catholic 4, No. 4 Weir 0

No. 2 Philip Barbour 1, No. 3 Point Pleasant 0

Saturday, Nov. 4

Championship

Charleston Catholic (19-1-2) vs. Philip Barbour (19-2-2), noon