The No. 4 Lady Trojans (14-1-1) are the top seed coming out of Region 6 and will face the three seed from Region 5, but the No. 5 team in the state. Both No. 1 St. Pius X and No. 2 Woodward also compete in Region 5, meaning the seeds don’t mean much this round.
“They’re going to be a tough, solid squad. They’re going to play physical and be ready to put us under pressure. They’re going to come here looking for the win,” Carrollton coach Drew Ebensberger said. “It’s a tough region, Region 5. Got some tough teams. So seeding doesn’t really make much of a difference. They’re all good quality and all could end up as the one seed in all the other regions just about.”
Even with a tough opponent in Riverwood coming, Carrollton is going to stick to its gameplan that produced the Lady Trojans’ third straight region title. The Lady Raiders (12-5-2) defeated Heritage, Catoosa, 3-0, in their opening-round game.
“We’re just going to come out and play our game, do what we’ve been doing all season — what’s gotten us to where we are,” Ebensberger said. “Coupled with a sense of urgency realizing if we lose, we’re done. Doing the basics, what we’ve been talking about all season. Coming to work and knowing that this is our house and we’re here to win it.”
Carrollton has not lost at home this season, something that is important as the Lady Trojans will have home-field advantage throughout the state tournament.
In its 5-2, first-round state playoff victory over fourth-seeded West Hall, Carrollton scored four second-half goals after taking a 1-0 lead into intermission on a Heather Joyce goal.
“It’s nice. We’re familiar with the field,” Ebensberger said. “We have home fans, don’t have to worry about traveling, sitting on a bus. We’ve got time to go home. It plays to your advantage having home field.”
Lady Trojan senior captain Clancy Tuggle, who came out of Carrollton’s first-round game with a hamstring injury has been in practice and is fit to play in tonight’s game, Ebensberger said.
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