Johnson’s 4-2 win over Westminster in the Class 4A state championship on Thursday at Cantrell Stadium at McEachern High School was perhaps a little of both.
The title was the second straight for the Knights (21-0), who won the Class 5A title in 2022. It also likely sealed a final national No. 1 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches High School national rankings poll due out in June.
But the win also put a heavy dose of cement on the Knights’ claim to be the new King of the Pitch in Georgia. In the last two seasons, they knocked off the No. 2 program in state titles (St. Pius, 12) and now Westminster, who came in with the most soccer titles in state history (14).