BY JUAN MONTOYA

The Grady boys varsity soccer team will play against Luella High School this Wednesday.  The game will be the team’s 12th of 14 regular-season games this season.  Luella, a 4-A school located in Locust Grove in Henry County, is not in Grady’s region or division.

Following Friday night’s 2-0 road win over Druid Hills (6-4 overall, 3-2 in region 5-AAA), Grady (8-2-1 overall, 4-1 in region 5-AAA) sits alone in second place in the region standings behind only the defending 3-A state champions, St. Pius X (9-1-1, 4-0).

The boys varsity soccer team has fared well this year against opponents to whom they lost last year. In 2011, Grady lost to North Atlanta and Riverwood, but in 2012, Grady beat North Atlanta, 4-0, and Riverwood, 5-0.  Grady also defeated North Springs earlier this year by a 7-0 score.  In 2011, the team squeaked past North Springs, 2-1.

Luella, a Region a 2-AAAA school that opened in 2003, should offer the Knights a good test prior to the 5-AAA region tournament.  The Lions (5-3, 5-1) have not played the Knights recently and have no common opponents with Grady this season.

The Knights play their final game before the region tournament on Thursday with a Senior Night tuneup against perennial arch-rival Decatur (5-4-1, 4-2 in Region 6-AA).  The Lions, meanwhile, will hit the road for their final pre-region tournament game this Friday night, at Warner-Robins (4-4-1, 2-0 in Region 1-AAAA).