On the strength of back-to-back first-half goals from senior and team captain Rachel Rajczak, the Lady Tigers joined the sweet 16 of the GHSA state tournament on April 23 with a 7-0 victory over the Sonoraville Phoenix.

The Lady Tigers maintained consistent pressure on the Phoenix goalie as the frontline routinely outran and out maneuvered the opposing defense with Ruthie Pittman breaking free in the first minutes of the game to open the scoring.

On the other end of the field, Dawson County’s defense, led by senior MacKenzie Kimbarl, kept the front of the net clear for goalkeeper Fallan Lacey for most of the game. On the rare occasion that a Sonoraville forward broke through, Lacey was up to the task and a Lady Tiger defender was immediately on hand to clear the ball, denying the Phoenix any second shot opportunities.

Dawson County entered the tournament as the No. seed from region 7-AAA and will host the second- round game on May 1 when the team will face Jefferson High School (No. 2, region 8), who outlasted Pace Academy (No. 3, region 5) 7-6 in their first- round battle also on April 23.