By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Highlands soccer fans should be bringing brooms to the state finals on Saturday when their boys and girls teams will be looking to sweep state championship titles in matches against powerhouse programs from Louisville.
Both state finals will be played at Fredrick Douglass High School in Lexington. In the girls game at 6 p.m., Highlands will play five-time state champion Louisville Sacred Heart. In the boys game at 8 p.m., Highlands will face a Louisville St. Xavier team that won its 13th state championship trophy last year.
Those are the same match-ups as the 2008 state finals when Sacred Heart and St. Xavier defeated the last two Highlands teams that made it to the season finale.
Highlands pulled out a 2-1 victory over Hopkinsville in a tension packed boys semifinal match on Thursday. In the final 10 minutes, both teams missed scoring opportunities that could have tied the score or put the match away.
Senior forward Luke Schweitzer gave Highlands a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute off an assist by Max Farris. On the second half kickoff, Carter Holmes blasted a long shot that arched over the goalkeeper’s head and into the net to make it 2-0.
Jose Favela scored Hopkinsville’s lone goal three minutes later, but Highlands goalkeeper Will Burnham didn’t have to make any saves during the rest of the second half.
The Bluebirds finished with a 10-3 advantage in shots on goal. Hopkinsville goalkeeper Xavier Bussell made seven saves to keep the score close.
Highlands (21-1-3) takes an 11-game win streak into Saturday’s championship final. St. Xavier (25-2-1) has won six in a row since losing to Louisville Collegiate, 5-4, in the 26th District final on a penalty kick shootout.
St. Xavier senior striker Conner George scored his 25th goal in the Tigers 1-0 semifinal win over Lexington Henry Clay on Thursday. The team’s second leading scorer is senior midfielder Case Cox with 24 goals.
BOYS SOCCER PLAYOFFS
Semifinals
Louisville St. Xavier 1, Lexington Henry clay 0
Highlands 2, Hopkinsville 1
Championship – Saturday at Fredrick Douglass H.S.
Louisville St. Xavier (25-2-1) vs. Highlands (23-1-3), 8 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER PLAYOFFS
Semifinals
Louisville Sacred Heart 3, West Jessamine 0
Highlands 3, Bardstown Bethlehem 0
Championship – Saturday at Fredrick Douglass H.S.
Louisville Sacred Heart (24-1-1) vs. Highlands (23-4), 6 p.m.