COLUMBIA — This time around, J.L. Mann girls soccer was on the wrong side of the net.
The Patriots were looking forward to defending their Class 5A-D1 state championship, after their 3-1 victory over Wando in 2025. Both teams met for a second straight year in the championship match on May 23.
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Wando survived overtime and penalty kicks to beat J.L. Mann 1-1 (2-1) in the title game at Memorial Stadium.
MORE: How Southside boys soccer won its first ‘but not last’ SCHSL championship
The Patriots’ (18-4-1) start to the season wasn’t the prettiest. All three of their regular season loses were from a four-game span in early march.
“I’m proud of these girls,” said J.L. Mann athletic director Brian Mahan. “Especially considering how they began the season. They gelled well. And as you could see in overtime, the resiliency of these girls is unmatched.”
J.L. Mann coach Anastasios Georgopoulos declined to comment after the game.
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The Patriots remained resilient. With less than two minutes left in overtime, J.L. Mann’s sophomore forward Emily Kneeland scored a goal to tie the game at 1-1, giving her team a chance to go to penalty kicks.
“These games are super competive,” Mahon said. “When you’ve been on these sidelines for 26 years, it’s hard not to have these feelings in the pit of your stomach. But these girls are competitors through and through. I still wouldn’t want a different set of girls on this field.”
All in all, Mahon is still confident that J.L. Mann is one of the “blue bloods” of high school sports in South Carolina, particularly the soccer programs. He has a good idea of where the team will end up next year.
“These girls will bounce back,” he said. “We’ll be at this field again. I have no doubt.”
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Kamryn Jackson covers high school and college sports for the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, Greenville News, Anderson Independent Mail, and the USA TODAY Network. Please email her at KEJackson@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @KamxJack
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: J.L. Mann falls in SCHSL girls soccer state championship, denied repeat
