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Lady Tigers shut down Jackson, North Oconee
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It took just four minutes.

And then an agonizingly long wait to see if the Dawson County varsity girls soccer team would capture its first-ever Region Tournament Championship.

Forward McKay Shively scored the decisive goal before the fans were settled into their seats at DCHS as Dawson County battled it out with No. 9 North Oconee.

The Lady Tigers, now ranked No. 3 in the state, jumped ahead 1-0 on Shivelys 20th goal of the season with 36 minutes still remaining in the first half after Riley Cox placed a perfect pass in front of the goal.

Over the next 76 minutes, Junior goalkeeper Keena Seitz shut down the North Oconee attack and extended Dawson Countys record for shutouts to 13 this season as the Lady Tigers outlasted the Titans to become the Region 8-AA Champions.

These girls just keep doing their jobs, said Dawson County head coach Jed Lacey, whose team has outscored opponents by an amazing 63-6 margin this season.

The defense keeps shutting down the opponents best players, Lacey said, while giving credit to midfielders Brittany Duffy, Brooke Duffy, Taylor Bennett and Jade Perry for continually controlling the middle of the field. They are hungry for a win every time they step on the field, the coach said.

With the loss, North Oconee (Region 8B-AA) fell to 8-6 on the season, while Dawson County (Region 8A-AA) improved to 15-2.

Two days earlier in the Region Semifinal game, Dawson County jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first half en route to a 3-0 shutout of No. 10 ranked Jackson County at DCHS.

Brooke Duffy put the Lady Tigers on the board first with a goal off a penalty kick, her 10th goal of the season.

Using a 25-yard shot, Brooke Shively then doubled Dawson Countys lead with an assist from Taylor Bennett.

Finally, Mckay Shively sealed the victory with 17 minutes remaining in the second period thanks to an assist from Jade Perry.

Next up, the Lady Tigers will begin competition in the State Tournament by hosting Sonoraville (7B-AA).

Lacey observed the advantages spending the regular season playing in a strong region like 8-AA. It will help us be more prepared for the opponents we will face in the State Playoffs.

The Lady Tigers will kick off against Sonoraville (8-9-0) this Friday at 5:30 p.m.

The girls know the regular season is over and it is a new season now [that] we are in the State Playoffs Lacey said. Every game is going to be tough from here on out.