The Alcovy Tigers boys and girls varsity soccer teams opened up region play with a bang Friday night, sweeping Morrow on the road in their region openers.

The Lady Tigers cruised to a 9-0 victory over the Lady Mustangs, improving their record to 4-1 overall, while the boys earned their first win of the season in a tight 3-2 win over the Mustangs.

In the opening game, Alex Jordan scored the Lady Tigers' first goal just two minutes into the contest, finishing with four goals and an assist in the blowout win.

Katie Barton, Haylie Norman and Taylor Crews also netted goals in the win, while Blakely Dimsdale found the back of the net twice.

In the net, Femke Stoelinga recorded four saves in the first half, while Victoria Marchant secured the shutout with two saves in the final period.

In the late game, Alcovy led by as much as a three-goal advantage against the Mustangs, taking a 3-0 lead in the game’s opening half. Jordan Adair netted back-to-back goals for the Tigers against the Mustangs’ defense, scoring twice in the opening five minutes of play.

Houston Kent added the Tigers’ final goal, but Alcovy needed a late defensive effort to hold onto the victory.

Despite trailing for much of the game, the Mustangs put together a comeback bid in the game’s final 15 minutes of play. Morrow trimmed the Tigers’ lead to 3-1 on a penalty kick before adding another goal, but Alcovy hung on to the one-goal victory.

"(After we scored the third goal) we stopped playing as aggressive," Alcovy coach Chris Edgar said. "They scored twice in the last 10 minutes fo the game and we had to hold on for the victory. We had 21 shots (and) we are creating more shots (than in past games), but we need to finish."

Alcovy returns to action Friday on the road in region action against Lovejoy at 5:30 p.m.

Eagles split

It was by no means an easy victory Friday night, but in the end, the Eastside Eagles boys varsity soccer team took home a 5-4 victory over Sandy Creek, improving its record to 3-0.

Eastside netted a pair of first-half goals, taking a 2-0 lead into halftime, but Sandy Creek rallied, outscoring the Eagles 4-3 in the second half.

The Patriots tied the game at 4-4, but Eastside’s Mateus Holanda netted his second score of the game with 50 seconds to go, propelling the Eagles to victory.

In the girls contest, the Lady Eagles dropped a 3-1 decision to Sandy Creek, giving up a pair of second-half goals.

The Lady Eagles were without seniors Alex Morvik and Becka McKelvey, who missed the game due to injury.

After trailing 1-0 at halftime, Eastside got its lone goal of the contest on a Lexi Langford score, but not before Sandy Creek extended its lead to 2-0 on a tap-in goal.

Eastside held possession for much of the second half, but was unable to score again, missing a goal-scoring chance in the closing minutes on a cross to Langford.

Sandy Creek added a late goal, clinching the two-goal victory.

Eastside returns to action Friday at home against Lumpkin County.