Region championships and state tournament runs have become a staple for local high school soccer programs, and after a successful 2011, things don’t appear likely to change soon.

Christian Heritage, Dalton and Southeast Whitfield’s boys teams all advanced to the quarterfinals of their respective state tournaments last year, with the Raiders going all to way to Georgia High School Association’s Class 3A semifinals before losing to eventual champion St. Pius X. Dalton lost by a goal at Cairo, while the Lions lost in the semifinals of the GISA tournament.

At North Murray, the Mountaineers shocked most by finishing as the No. 4 seed from Region 7-2A and upsetting Callaway on the road in the first round of state before falling to Cross Keys in the second round. On the girls side, Dalton and Southeast both earned spots in the state tournament.

“There is a high level of soccer in this area,” Dalton boys coach Matt Cheaves said, “and whoever can survive should have a very good chance at state.”

One thing that will change for the area this year is the addition of new teams. First-year Whitfield County school Coahulla Creek sends its boys and girls out to join North Murray in Region 7-2A, while Morris Innovative will field a boys team — the first varsity athletic program at the third-year Dalton Public school.

Here’s a glance at the area’s soccer teams and the upcoming season:

Christian Heritage

The Lions will look to continue their winning ways, while the girls shoulder some great expectations after returning their entire starting lineup from last season.

The boys will try to improve on last year’s trip to the state semifinals, but will have to do so with a new coach. Caleb Mahoney, who graduated from Christian Heritage five years ago, has taken over the program from John Seehorn and has a team that lost just one starter from last year.

“We have a very strong team with a very strong core of guys who have been playing together since middle school,” Mahoney said. “I am pretty excited. They have worked really hard, and I have been really impressed.”

Senior Casey Carroll is the quickest player on the team and will be expected to make major contributions on the offensive side of the field. Brothers Andres and Hunter Dixon will help control the back half of the team with Andres, a senior, at defensive midfield and Hunter, a junior, at striker.

While making a run at the GISA state titles is first and foremost, Mahoney is taking steps to help build his program for the school’s jump to the GHSA next year, including having eighth-graders practice at the varsity level.

The Lady Lions only won two games last season, but a lot of that could be attributed to growing pains for a team that had no seniors.

“Not having any seniors was a good thing and a bad thing last year,” Lady Lions coach Adam Bolin said. “We have a great group of girls who got a lot of experience, and now we hope that it translates to more wins this season.

Senior Rachel Gray is a two-time all-state and three-time all-region selection, and she’ll lead the team at center midfield.

“In every way, shape and form, she is the leader of the team,” Bolin said.

She will have a strong cast around her. Freshmen Jordan Suddeth and Savannah Dixon each started as eighth-graders and will be counted on more heavily in the midfield. Marah McEntyre was second on the team in scoring last year, and senior Kathleen Watkins will lead the defense on the back line, along with Carmen Tejada and Molly Crawford.

Christian Heritage opens the season on March 9 at Oak Mountain.

Coahulla Creek

For both the Colts and Lady Colts, this season will be about laying a solid foundation for the future.

Both teams are composed of mostly sophomores and juniors. Midfielder Ana Perez and defender Maria Arrendondo are the only Lady Colts seniors; there are none on the boys team.

Maria Rivera will start at forward in the Lady Colts’ 4-4-2 formation, and Regina Pacheco will handle the attacking midfield position. Deysi Garcia will hope to shut out opponents as the goalkeeper and team captain Melanie Pacheco anchors the defense.

Missael Fraire will start in goal for the boys team, while Pedro Garcia and Sadoth Fraire work as the two starting forwards. Luis Lee-Martinez and Manuel Morales will anchor the midfield.

Coach Eric White sees a lot of potential and good rapport among his boys team, which he called “a promising start” for the program’s first year.

“What is great is we have a lot of leadership on the team,” he said. “Some of these guys have played with one another before. These guys, while they may be part of a first-year program, have a lot of experience.”

White said winning games is always the goal, but the 2012 season will not be judged based on record.

“We’re not going to look at just wins and losses,” he said. “We’re going to look at whether we’re playing as a team. Are we playing as individuals or as a team? I think if we play as a team it will lay a good foundation.”

Lady Colts coach Lindsey Ott said her focus is on teamwork and each player gaining trust in their teammates, but results won’t be completely disregarded.

“We want to win,” Ott said.

Still, starting from scratch will not be easy. This is Ott’s first soccer coaching job, and she said that being involved in starting the Coahulla Creek program has been “one of the most difficult things I have done.”

“But I love it,” she said, “because you get to see kids in a different light.”

The boys open their season Monday at home against Armuchee; the Lady Colts will start Thursday, when Coosa comes to Coahulla Creek for girls and boys matchups.

Dalton

After advancing to the state quarterfinals and losing 1-0 to a Cairo team that the Catamounts felt like they dominated in every way but the scoreboard, Dalton enters the season motivated by the shortcoming.

Cheaves returns six starters from last year’s team that finished second in the region to Southeast Whitfield, and even more players with significant experience will return.

“It’s a big team, and we have a lot of different options for the varsity,” Cheaves said. “We have a strong group of junior varsity players who are coming up, and we carried a large varsity last year and used a lot of different players, so we have plenty of experience.”

One new starter Cheaves is high on is junior goalie Raymundo Bahena. He will be joined by returning starters Zack Keen at defender and Juan Barrera, Ryan Czyz and Rafael Esparza in midfield.

Keying the Dalton offensive attack will be forwards Ramiro Huitanda and Rolando Rosillo, who was hurt for half of the 2011 season but still managed to be the team’s second-leading scorer.

The Lady Cats welcome back Tony Carlson as coach after a three year-absence. Carlson, who takes over from Rebecca Snellman, previously coached the team for eight years and has been a head coach for 14 seasons overall.

“I feel like I haven’t skipped a beat,” said Carlson, who was a member of the first boys soccer team at Dalton. “Three years is a long time, but once you get the balls rolling, it is like you have never left. I am very impressed with what I have seen. It didn’t take long to see the talent out here.”

Four seniors return for Carlson, while a third of the team is new to high school soccer. Senior Jeissy Fraire will lead the team at center midfield after playing forward last year.

Up front, Carlson expects to have the name Salaises said a lot with sisters Ale, a junior, and Alondra, a freshman, seeing time in numerous positions.

“Both of them are so well-skilled with the ball that you could play either one of them at just about any position,” Carlson said.

Left wing defender Maria Robledo, a junior, will use her defensive role to get the offense started, connecting with the main controller of the offense. Junior Rocio Carizzales will play the sweeper spot, while freshman Claudia Rodriguez will key the back line defense at stopper.

Dalton opens the season on Wednesday, hosting Northwest Whitfield.

Morris Innovative

So far, the extent of Tigers athletics has been a junior varsity boys basketball squad that just finished its first season — which means boys soccer will have the chance to represent the school in ways not yet possible.

Morris coach Ernie Dempsey wants his players to understand the magnitude of their role as pioneers.

“What I told the guys was that you’re getting to be a part of something that will never happen again for this school,” he said. “You’re not only the first soccer team, you’re the first varsity athletic team in Morris history. Right now it might not seem like a big deal, but 60 years from now when you’re old and gray and come back to school, you’ll see that picture on the wall and it will mean something.”

Naturally, Dempsey wants the tone set by the Tigers to be the right one.

“(I told them) ‘You’re starting the legend this year. You’re going to determine the way this program goes. That’s something special,’” Dempsey said.

This is also the first head coaching job for Dempsey, but he has three years of experience as an assistant for Dalton girls soccer. During that time, he said he learned that the playing field can be leveled against more talented or experienced teams with tactics — something that will no doubt come in handy as the Tigers try to keep up in GHSA Area 3-A.

That area includes 2011 Class A state champion Walker and semifinalist Pace Academy. Dempsey said he’ll have a fairly even mix of classes, including three seniors, on a roster of 15 that will begin play with big expectations.

“Obviously our goal is always going to be to win the area and make the state tournament,” he said. “Going forward, that’s always going to be what we set out to do. We want to be a championship-type program here. I don’t know if we’re there yet, because it’s the first year — it’s almost like grabbing an expansion team — but we’re definitely working toward it. If that doesn’t happen, it’s not going to be because of lack of effort.”

The Tigers expect to play an aggressive style that relies on quick, short passes in the center of the field to produce offense, an attack that has worked well for powers Dalton and Southeast. As for players Dempsey expects to make big contributions, strikers Josue Rivas, a team captain, and Gustavo Celis will push the attack, while Eduardo Padilla will be counted on in goal.

Morris will play just three home games this season, all at Harmon Field. The Tigers open their year Friday at North Cobb.

Murray County

For years, most boys teams in Region 7-3A were behind the eight-ball even before the soccer season began.

That’s because Dalton and Southeast have dominated the region and fiercely fought Georgia’s top programs for state supremacy.

Marco Burgueno heads into his first season as Murray County’s coach with that daunting fact in mind. He took his first coaching job — in any sport — in January.

Burgueno had a succinct response when asked about his knowledge of Region 7-3A soccer.

“From what I’ve learned,” he said, “it’s pretty tough.”

Still, Burgueno is not dismayed by the prospects for this season, which follows the Indians’ 6-10-1 overall and 4-7 region records in 2011, according to eurosportscoreboard.com.

“I think we’ll be all right,” Burgueno said. “They know about the work ethic I demand of them. They know what I expect on the field and with their behavior.”

Burgueno, a native of Cleveland, Tenn., said senior defender Enrique Ruiz is one player he’ll rely heavily on in 2012 for his defensive prowess and leadership. He also indicated that seniors Colby Cummings (forward), defender Jesus Morales, midfielder Marcus Lopez and junior Humberto Alvarez (goalkeeper) should be key contributors this season for a team that has 10 seniors on its 16-player roster.

The Lady Indians also have a new coach, Mandy Ledford, who has been a track and cross country assistant for six years at Murray County. She has undertaken a rebuilding project following the team’s one-win season (1-13, 1-8) in 2011.

“A winning season would be absolutely wonderful,” Ledford said. “We’re trying to restructure this program.”

It won’t be easy.

“Last year was pretty bad,” junior Nayeli Jacobo said. “It felt like the team was falling apart. Players were screaming at each other.”

Other key players are juniors Kelsey Pack, Maggie Mushrush, Raven Henry and Elizabeth Lara and freshman Celena Sanchez. Ledford said she is still deciding the best positions for numerous players.

The Indians and Lady Indians open the season at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe on Feb. 21.

North Murray

The Mountaineers hardly acted like a first-year varsity team last season with their state tournament victory.

“We can’t surprise anybody this year,” said returning head coach Matt Chambers, who led his team to a 9-4 mark in 2011. “We had no seniors last year which means everybody’s back.”

He knows what he can count on, too.

“Our speed is definitely a strength,” Chambers said. “We also definitely have people with a lot of natural ability.”

Edgar Mendez, a senior defender/forward, and junior forward Antonio Maldonado serve as captains. Guillerdo Cruz, a junior midfielder, led the scorers last season with 19 goals. Manuel Gonzalez, a sophomore, is in goal.

Chambers expects defending Region 7-2A champion Calhoun to be “the team to beat.” He anticipates his Mountaineers contending again, along with Gordon Central and Coosa.

“We have only three seniors,” Chambers said. “Two of them start. We’re mainly juniors and sophomores.”

On the girls side, the first varsity season was a reversal from the boys as they were held winless.

William Huggins, who formerly taught at Murray County, has taken the coaching reins from Connie Hudgins. He said the Lady Mountaineers are “really hungry.”

“The attitude has been great,” Huggins said. “Our seniors are excited about being part of the first senior class. We have 11 seniors. Our strength probably will be defense.”

Huggins lauded four seniors as the team’s leaders — forwards Vanessa Carlos and Emma Lopez, defensive wing Abigail Cervantes and goalkeeper Lupe Miranda.

North Murray’s girls open the season Feb. 23 at Sonoraville; the boys start on Feb. 21 at Dalton.

Northwest Whitfield

Experience is the name of the game for the Northwest boys, who have an eye set on building on last year’s winning season.

Bruins coach Ryan Scoggins believes his team will be even better than last year, when the roster included mostly juniors and sophomores, and he looks to six returning starters for the leadership.

“This is the most experienced group we’ve had since I’ve been here,” he said. “We’re pretty much all seniors and juniors, plus one sophomore (MIguel Villa). But he started last year as a freshman, so I don’t consider him a true sophomore.”

Miguel Deanda will return as the Bruins’ goalkeeper. Cielo Nunez and Villa return to anchor the defense. Emmanuel Pacheco, Jose Delcid and Mario Perez return from last season — when Northwest finished 10-8 — to control the midfield.

Northwest went 5-5 in Region 7-4A play last season. Scoggins said the region is a minefield of high-quality Metro Atlanta schools like Lambert and defending state champion Chattahoochee. While he expects the region to be competitive again, he believes having more experience creates higher expectations.

“Last year we had a great team,” he said. “We beat teams around here like 10-0, but lost to the tough Metro Atlanta teams like 2-1 and 1-0. Very close games.”

Lady Bruins coach Anna Stutts already sees improvement from her squad. She notices better offensive chemistry with more goal-scorers and crisper passing compared to last season.

“These girls have a lot more goal-scoring potential,” she said. “The passing this year is so much better and on point to each other.”

The Lady Bruins went 5-13 in 2011, but Stutts liked what she saw from the defense.

“We have great defensive chemistry,” she said. “Our defense was solid last year.”

The Lady Bruins return five starters from last season — defenders Selena Gomez and Krissy Maciejewski, and midfielders Jessica Romero, Paige Smyth and Vanessa Vega.

Both teams open their regular season Monday at Ridgeland.

Southeast Whitfield

While the Raiders have built one of Northwest Georgia’s most successful programs for more than a decade, the Lady Raiders have followed suit and are building their own winning tradition in recent years.

The Lady Raiders had their first winning season in school history in 2009 and followed with a 10-6 mark in 2010, including two wins against region rival Dalton. Last season the team continued the winning formula with a 14-4 record and another state tournament berth.

“All the tools are here,” Southeast coach Kevin Kettenring said. “It’s just a matter of giving the girls confidence and instilling some work ethic and goals.”

The team returns three midfielders, one attacker and one defender from last year’s squad. Andrea Lopez, Diana Paramo and Diana Sandate will hold down midfield for the Lady Raiders, while Alajandra Lerma will lead the goal-scoring initiative. Karina Villa leads the defensive group, and the Lady Raiders’ starting keeper is Maria Kanalles, who served as backup last year.

A fourth consecutive winning season is not the only objective for Kettenring. He wants a better showing in Region 7-3A play and sees an opportunity with a lot of tough region foes traveling to Southeast.

“We lost to Heritage-Catoosa, Cartersville and Allatoona on the road,” he said, “and we have them all at home this year.”

On the boys side, an 11th consecutive trip to the state playoffs is in sight, but it will be a young squad tasked with continuing the winning tradition at Southeast.

The Raiders went 20-2 last season and captured another region championship under coach Jamison Griffin before losing in the semifinals of the state playoffs. Griffin attributes the decade of success to concentrating on more than just what happens on the field.

“We were doing OK the first four years or so,” Griffin said. “After about the fifth year, I really changed my philosophy to focus more on what goes on off the field.”

Southeast only returns three starters — midfielder Christian Lopez, striker Alex Rosillio and keeper Abel Mendiola — and will have what Griffin called “one of the youngest teams” he’s had at Southeast.

“We’ll definitely start a freshman or two and a sophomore or two,” he said.

The Raiders lost Mickey Guerrero and Noel Pimentel — two former selections to The Daily Citizen’s All-Area Team — to graduation. But a transfer from North Carolina, Edgar Rodriguez, will help in the midfield.

Both Southeast squads open their season Tuesday at Cedartown.