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Sports

WJ Boys, B-CC Girls Head to State Soccer Finals

Wildcats look to cap undefeated season; Barons seek fourth consecutive championship.

Though they took different paths to get there, the boys and the girls soccer teams have both arrived at the same place.

Each squad requires just one more victory to capture their respective Class 4A state championships.

At the University of Maryland Baltimore County on Friday, the Wildcats (17-0-1) will face Bowie (13-5) at 7:30 p.m., while the Barons (13-3-2) will go against Severna Park (15-3-1) at 5 p.m.

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For Walter Johnson, a win against Bowie would be a fitting end to a season of utter dominance. Aside from a 1-1 tie with Churchill in October, the Wildcats have won every game they have played this season, earning them a spot among the top 15 teams in the country as ranked by ESPN.com.

Despite their overwhelming talent, the Wildcats' playoff run has been a tense stretch of four one-goal victories. After dispatching Richard Montgomery, Blair and Northwest by identical 2-1 scores, WJ advanced to the finals with a 1-0 win over Perry Hall on Saturday.

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On Friday, they will face a Bowie team that was the sixth seed in the 4A South region. The Bulldogs had to forfeit three regular season games for using an ineligible player, but have been on a tear in the playoffs. Bowie topped highly touted 4A East top-seed Severna Park 4-3 on Saturday to reach the finals.

Entering the regular season, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase girls were facing questions about how they would adjust to having lost to graduation that had carried them to three consecutive state championships.

After failing to score a goal in their first three games, including a 7-0 loss to Good Counsel, the Barons reeled off a six-game winning streak that showed they were still a force to be reckoned with.

Coach Robert Kurtz said the turning point for B-CC's playoff run was their double-overtime 2-1 win over Sherwood in the last game of the regular season. Trailing by a goal late in the second half, and with their playoff seeding already decided, the Barons still fought hard to force overtime and eventually win.

"Something clicked that night for us," Kurtz said. "It kind of brought to light the kind of group we have here."

The momentum from that game has carried over even though a first-round bye resulted in a full week off before their first tournament action. Junior goalie Angela White has yet to allow a goal in the playoffs, as the Barons have topped Clarksburg, Quince Orchard, Churchill and Perry Hall by a combined score of 9-0.

Their run to the finals is even more impressive considering the loss of senior Hannah Levin to a serious knee injury in the Barons' 1-0 overtime win against Churchill in the 4A West regional final.

Even without Levin, B-CC was able to top 4A North region top seed Perry Hall 3-0 in their semifinal matchup on Saturday.

Now all that stands between B-CC and a fourth consecutive state championship is Severna Park. The Falcons were the top seed in the 4A East region, and reached the finals by beating 4A South champion Eleanor Roosevelt 1-0 on Saturday.

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