Greeneville And Catholic High School played to a 2-1 state sectional final on Saturday afternoon. Greeneville advanced to state. (Photo by Danny Parker)
State sectionals were sandwiched around today’s Tennessee-Alabama football game. By night’s end, the 5Star Preps coverage area managed to get six teams qualified for this coming week’s state tournament in Murfreesboro.
CLASS AAA
Maryville, the District 4-AAA and Region 2-AAA winner, will take a 19-1-3 mark into next week’s state tournament in Murfreesboro after a 3-0 win over Science Hill (17-4-1).
Grace Oliver, Reyna Coston and Abbey Kolarik scored goals, and Maryville will make its third appearance in the state tournament in the last four seasons.
Bearden, via a 3-0 win over Hardin Valley, will join Maryville as local reps in the state tournament.
CLASS AA
Seymour 5, Central 0: The Lady Eagles (17-3) jumped to a 3-0 lead early in the contest, leaving little doubt that they would be returning to the Class AA state tournament.
Four different Seymour players scored Saturday. Tyler Taft, a junior, led the way with two goals. Addie Biddle, Anna Pendleton and Emily Glaspie netted a goal apiece.
Seymour entered the 2017 state tournament with a 16-4 mark but lost to eventual state champion White House in the quarterfinals.
The Lady Eagles return battle-tested behind district player of the year Sydney Wolfenbarger, a Lincoln Memorial commitment, and fellow senior Biddle, a Lenoir-Rhyne commit.
Seymour also notched quality wins this season over Greeneville, Alcoa and Morristown West.
Seymour’s first-round opponent this season has yet to be announced.
Greeneville (white) and Catholic (green) players battle for control during a state sectional Saturday. (Photo: Danny Parker).
Greeneville 2, Catholic 1: Emily Graham and Kenly Wilhoit goals put the Lady Greene Devils ahead 2-0 with roughly 20 minutes left to play, and Greeneville hung on to secure their fourth consecutively state-tournament berth.
Greeneville lost in the 2017 Class AA state championship match, 1-0, to White House.
Ellie Wolski scored Catholic’s goal.
In other Class AA sectionals: East Hamilton eliminated District 5-AA and Region 3-AA champion Anderson County on Saturday night, 2-0. McMinn Central eliminated Scott by a 5-0 margin.
CLASS A
Alcoa 7, Oneida 1: Lexi Bearden scored two goals in the first 28 minutes, and the Lady Tornadoes will return to Murfreesboro to defend their Class A state championship.
Alcoa’s District 2-A cohort, Gatlinburg-Pittman, won’t be joining them, though. Polk County defeated G-P, 2-0, in the state sectionals on Saturday.
DIVISION II-A
CAK at CPA: The host Lady Lions eliminated CAK, 6-0, from the state quarterfinals. CAK last won a state title in 2011 and last played in the championship match in 2013.