The No. 1 seed FPCA Lady Highlanders’ game for the first round of the state playoffs was forfeited by the Heritage School, No. 4 seed, automatically sending them to the second round.

The Lady ’Landers hosted the Elite 8 on Thursday night against Monsignor Donovan out of Athens. The Lady ’Landers won 3-0, the 15th shutout of the season for FPCA.

Mary Kathryn Whitney kicked in the first goal, assisted by Cecilia Graham. Mercedes Buckley bodied in the next goal off a corner kick, also by Graham. Buckley also scored the third goal off an assist by Cassandra Ruff.

This win puts FPCA in the Final Four of the GISA playoffs.

In the Final Four, the Lady Highlanders will play Trinity Christian from Sharpsburg. The teams are not strangers to one another. FPCA played Trinity in the championship game of the Sherwood Tournament in Albany in March. The Lady ’Landers won the game and the championship 6-4, after battling back from a deficit at the half.

The Lady ’Landers are sitting on a record of 22-0. The Final Four game is at 1 p.m. Friday at Mercer University.

If the Lady ’Landers win, they advance to the GISA state final on Saturday, also at Mercer, against either Deerfield Windsor School or Augusta Prep.

Highlanders

The Highlander boys lost in the first round of the GISA state playoffs last week.

Playing the No. 1 seed, The Heritage School in Newnan, the Highlanders kept the game to 0-0 until through the first half.

A foul called in the box awarded Heritage a penalty which turned the tide in Heritage’s favor.

The final score was 3-0.