HUNTSVILLE — St. John Paul II Catholic High School will get the chance to defend its AHSAA Class 4A girls’ soccer championship later this week.
     The Falcons (12-10-2), led by first-year coach Jared Keesee, earned a 2-1 victory over Mars Hill Bible in Wednesday’s Class 4A state semifinals at John Hunt Park, scoring twice in the first half and holding on for the victory.
    The match helped kick off the 2026 State Soccer Championships, which will continue today through Saturday.
    Emma Taylor scored the match’s first goal at the 20:12 mark in the first half, and Sirena Downing added a second goal in the 34th minute off a corner kick. Mars Hill, coached by Nicholas Berryman, rallied in the second half and cut the deficit to 2-1 on Evan Ann Downing’s unassisted goal in the 72nd minute. The Falcons’ strong defense did the rest to seal the semifinal win.
    St. John Paul II advances to play St. Luke’s Episcopal in Friday’s championship game, thanks to goalkeeper Abigail Donatelli making nine saves. Mars Hill goalkeeper Giada De Leon made one save and the Panthers (15-6-0) finished with 21 shots, including 10 on goal.
    "We knew we had to pace up top," Jared Keesee said. "We moved Emma Taylor, she hasn't played as much striker here recently, we put her up top as an eighth grader and she gets the first goal. We knew she had the speed. Maybe we got a little too comfortable up 2-0 in the second half, but Mars Hill, they were fighting and they wanted revenge for last year since we kept them out of the semis."
 

St. Luke’s Episcopal 2, Orange Beach 1

     Sophia Maghupoy scored twice – once in each half – to lift the Wildcats (16-2-4) to a 2-1 victory over Orange Beach and secured the other  berth in Friday’s Class 4A girls’ finals.
     The Makos (17-5-1) failed to fire a shot in the first half but turned up the intensity in the second half with 15 shots on goal. Gabriella Aufmuth’s goal in the 64th minute cut the deficit to 2-1, but St. Luke’s held on for the victory.
     St. Luke’s goalkeeper Ashlyn Turner finished with six saves, and Orange Beach goalkeeper Bailey Avant had three saves. The Wildcats advance to play defending champ St. John Paul II in Friday’s championship game – seeking their first AHSAA girls’ soccer state title.

2026 AHSAA Soccer Championships
John Hunt Park, Huntsville 

WEDNESDAY, May 6
Semifinal Matches/Results

Class 4A Girls
St. Luke’s Episcopal (16-2-4) 2, Orange Beach (17-5-1) 1
St. John Paul II Catholic (12-10-2) 2, Mars Hill Bible (15-6-0 1
Friday’s State Championship Match
St. Luke’s Episcopal (16-2-4) vs. St. John Paul II Catholic (12-10-2), Friday, May 8,  11:30 a.m.

Class 4A Boys
Westminster-Oak Mountain (17-5-1) vs. Saint James (18-2-0), 11 a.m.
St. John Paul II Catholic (12-6-0) vs. Mars Hill Bible (14-7-2), 11 a.m.

Class 5A Girls
Indian Springs (17-5-0) vs. St. Michael Catholic (16-8-4), 1 p.m.
Guntersville (19-3-2) vs. John Carroll Catholic (14-9-1), 1 p.m.

Class 5A Boys
Indian Springs (16-3-2) vs. St. Michael Catholic (13-7-3), 3 p.m.
Russellville (21-5-0) vs. Springville (18-2-2), 3 p.m.