Johns Creek boys soccer finishes No. 1 after first state title
Johns Creek finished No. 1 nationally after its first state title, a 22-1-0 season capped by a 2-0 win over River Ridge in Duluth.
Johns Creek High School finished No. 1 in the final United Soccer Coaches spring boys national rankings, putting a national stamp on a season that ended with the school’s first GHSA Class 5A championship. The Gladiators went 22-1-0 and were again ranked No. 1 in the organization’s Region II poll when the final rankings were released May 19.
That finish came six days after Johns Creek beat two-time defending champion River Ridge 2-0 on May 13 at Duluth to claim the state title. Senior midfielder Ryan Gottschalk and senior forward Aiden Giacomelli scored in the championship game, giving Johns Creek the breakthrough it had chased after years of postseason contention. The Gladiators had reached the semifinals in four of the previous six seasons before finally converting that run into a state crown.
The playoff path showed both balance and ceiling. Johns Creek opened with a 1-0 win over Woodward Academy, then rolled past Habersham Central 7-0, Riverwood 7-1 and Decatur 3-0 before closing the bracket with the shutout of River Ridge. The mix of narrow elimination wins and high-scoring blowouts helped set the standard the program had to meet to become a state champion, and it is the kind of track record nearby Forsyth County programs will be measured against as they try to climb into the same tier.
Kelly Bowler’s team also picked up individual recognition. Bowler was named United Soccer Coaches’ Class AAAAA State Coach of the Year in June, adding another marker to a season that already had Johns Creek at the top of the national poll and at the top of the state bracket. For a program that had been knocking on the door for multiple seasons, the 2026 finish turned repeated near-misses into a No. 1 national ranking and a first title.
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