Lady Panthers to host Westfield in state tournament

Published 3:00 pm Monday, February 14, 2022

CHULA — The GISA Class AAA state tournament starts Tuesday night and, for the first time in four years, the Tiftarea Academy Lady Panthers won’t be the team on the road.

The Lady Panthers host Westfield at 6 p.m. at the Chuladome in a first round game.

Tiftarea’s Panthers will play in state Wednesday, but won’t have the same luxury at a home game. However, the trip will be a close one: Southland Academy.

Both Tiftarea teams finished third in the Region 3-AAA tournament, but state seeds this year were determined by power rankings. The Lady Panthers finished at No. 7 in a 16-team field; the Panthers are 15th.

This will be the first time the Lady Panthers will have a home game for state since 2018, though the road hasn’t been a problem for them. The past two years, they have upset an opponent on unfriendly hardwood.

Chula won’t be as big of a jolt for Westfield, though, as it might be for other teams. The Lady Hornets were here in December, falling 45-23. Twelve days later, Tiftarea defeated Westfield by a similar score in Perry (58-30).

Westfield is 8-15 on the year, having hit a groove during their region schedule and have gone 7-3 since Jan. 10. Two of the losses are two John Milledge, Region 4-AAA’s champion.

Should Tiftarea advance, they would face the winner of Holy Spirit Prep and Creekside Christian Academy. Holy Spirit (14-1) is the No. 2 team in the bracket. That game is set for Friday at John Milledge Academy.

The Panthers have their work cut out for them against Southland. The Raiders are 22-1, having only fallen to Terrell Academy. They have defeated Tiftarea twice this season.

Tiftarea (9-11) have won two of their last three games, scoring a season high 76 points against Echols County. 

Game time is set for 6:30 in Americus. The winner will take on Bethlehem Christian or Westminster of Augusta. That contest would be Saturday, also at John Milledge.