Bartram Trail, Ponte Vedra both returning to girls state soccer championships

Bartram Trail and Ponte Vedra are both heading back to the girls state soccer championships.

Bartram Trail, the defending Class 7A state champion, will try to repeat next week in DeLand.

The Bears (18-2) defeated host Tampa Plant 3-0 in the Class 7A state semifinals Friday night, scoring all three of their goals in the first half.

They will meet Weston Cypress Bay at 1 p.m. Friday at Spec Martin Stadium for the state championship. Cypress Bay defeated Parkland Stoneman Douglas 2-1 in the other semi.

Bartam Trail beat Cypress Bay 5-0 in last year’s championship game.

On Friday, Jori Follenweider gave Bartram Trail a lead it would never relinquish off an assist by Carolyn Johnson.

That goal was the key to the game, Bartram Trail coach Jen Rodriguez said.

“I’m not sure Plant has been down all season, so we needed to score early to see how they would respond,” Rodriguez said in a text on the bus ride back to school Friday night.

“There is no way I can talk in this bus,” she texted. “There is a lot of singing going on … very LOUD singing.”

Grace Ivey scored her team-leading 17th goal of the season to give the Bears an insurance goal. Follenweider notched the assist. Olivia Glass made it 3-0 off a Reese Wheeler assist.

The Bears registered their 12th shutout of the season and their 10th in the past 13 games.

Plant, which the Bears beat 2-1 in the semifinals last year, finished the season at 18-2.

Ponte Vedra 1, Land O’Lakes 0

Ponte Vedra will return to the Class 5A state championship next week. The Sharks improved to 13-3-5 with a tight victory at Land O’Lakes in Friday night’s semifinal.

Once again the defense led the way for the Sharks. Kaylan Heinz’s second-half goal would be all the Sharks would need as they held their opponent scoreless for the third straight time in the playoffs. Tamlyn Parkes had the assist.

Land O’Lakes fell to 18-4-1.

It was the second year in a row that the Sharks beat Land O’Lakes in the state semis.

Ponte Vedra will met Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy for the Class 5A championship for the second straight year. Archbishop McCarthy (18-4-1) defeated North Fort Myers 1-0 Friday night.

The Sharks will be seeking redemption when they meet the Mavericks at 4 p.m. Friday in DeLand. They lost to Archbishop McCarthy 2-0 in last year’s title game