Garza Law is the proud sponsor of 5Star Preps’ 2026 TSSAA Spring Fling state championship coverage May 19-22 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
MURFREESBORO – It will be state-title match Friday for three soccer teams from the 5Star Preps coverage area.
Bearden will play Ravenwood of Brentwood for the Class AAA state championship at 11 a.m. Central time; Gatlinburg-Pittman faces Independence Academy of Gallatin at 1:30 p.m.; and South-Doyle goes against Gallatin of Station Camp at 4 p.m.
All three games are at the Siegel Soccer Complex Stadium.
Bearden, G-P, and South-Doyle advanced with semifinal victories Wednesday at the soccer complex. Here’s how they did it amidst some weather delays:
S-D GETS 3RD STRAIGHT
The South Doyle Cherokees met the Greeneville Greene Devils in the first round of the state tournament on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro, TN. The Cherokees won the game 3-0. (Photo Tanner Walker/5SP)
South-Doyle (20-1-2) advanced to the Class AA state championship match for the third straight year with a 3-0 victory Wednesday night over South Gibson.
And another rematch against Station Camp (16-6-1) for the state title should be a doozy.
In 2024, the Cherokees defeated Station Camp 1-0 in the state semifinals on their way to the championship.
Last year, South-Doyle lost to Station Camp 3-1 in the state title match.
Station Camp defeated Elizabethton 5-1 in a semifinal match Wednesday.
“Obviously, it’s a game we’ve had circled if we could get there,” South-Doyle coach Sam Mitchell said. “We’re excited for it. I think they’re excited for it. It’ll be Round 3 of a big game between us and them.”
Senior team captain Cameron Harp is psyched for it.
“It’s just so exciting, especially since it’s my last year,” Harp said, “and I feel like this has been one of the greatest groups of boys, on and off the field. It’s just really exciting for all of us.”
Senior midfielder Jude Straussfogel scored two goals and senior forward Roger Oseguera-Cruz scored another goal Wednesday.
The Cherokees had a 2-0 lead when the match went into a weather delay early in the second half.
“The boys stepped up to the challenge,” Mitchell said. “Especially whenever you go into a weather delay, coming back out and finding the next goal is very important, so I’m very proud of our guys for doing that. I can’t complain about their effort and intensity.”
Harp said the Cherokees will bring it again Friday, along with all their big scorers.
“It’s really easy, not one of us is playing hero ball,” said Harp, a Maryville College signee. “We’re just playing as a team. We know that if one of us doesn’t score, then someone else on the team will find the back of the net.”
STYLES GETS HAT TRICK
The Bearden Bulldogs met the Franklin Admirals in the the TSSAA Class AAA Semifinal at Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The Bulldogs won the game 3-1. (Photo Tanner Walker/5SP)
You sure can’t tell Bearden’s Tim Styles was injured before the state tournament.
The sophomore forward scored a hat trick in Wednesday afternoon’s 4-2 victory over Franklin. He scored twice in Tuesday’s 4-2 quarterfinal win against Cleveland.
“He’s been injured the past couple of weeks,” Bearden coach Ryan Radcliffe said, “so he looks fresh coming off of his injury. He looks like he’s energized. He just brings something that’s completely different to our group in terms of he’s fast, he’s physical, and he’s hard to keep up with. He wants to be out there. He’s the field rat, training all the time, and you can tell he wants it bad. It’s cool to see for him.”
Senior forward Aidan Ainsworth had three assists against Franklin.
Bearden (20-1-3) will play a familiar opponent Friday in Ravenwood (18-3-2).
Bearden beat Ravenwood in a penalty-kick shootout for the 2024 state championship after the teams played to a 0-0 tie in regulation and overtimes.
Earlier this season, the Bulldogs and Ravenwood also played to a scoreless tie at Bearden, but they didn’t play a shootout.
“They’re another great team, a different matchup (than Franklin), a very well-coached team,” Radcliffe said. “They have similarities in Franklin, but they’re a team that’s going to have a big crowd, a team that’s got a lot of momentum at the same time. Like I said, it’s supposed to be hard in the championship.”
Bearden had nine shots in the semifinal match, while Franklin had 11 shots.
Styles’ goal in the third minute gave Bearden a 1-0 lead.
Franklin tied it in the 15th minute when Brennan Skyrzniarz scored off an assist by Caleb Moss.
The match was tied at halftime, 1-1.
“We knew they were going to be a great team,” Radcliffe said. “I kind of had to tell the boys at halftime because they were a little frustrated with themselves. I told them, ‘There’s nothing to be frustrated about. You’re playing a great team.’”
Caleb Wild gave the Bulldogs the lead for good in the 47th minute, scoring off an assist by Ainsworth.
Styles got his second goal in the 69th minute with the assist by Jon Rowe.
He got his hat trick in the 73rd minute. Tyler Anderson scored in the 78th minute for Franklin.
“I thought once we were able to calm down,” Radcliffe said, “make some adjustments tactically, using our forwards the way we wanted to use our forwards, we were able to settle in and start creating a lot of chances.”
G-P RETURNS TO FINAL
Gatlinburg-Pittman continued its prevalence at the Class A state soccer tournament.
The Highlanders defeated Madison Magnet 1-0 in Wednesday night’s semifinal match.
Junior forward Jahime Beaton scored the winning goal for the Highlanders, making their eighth consecutive trip to the state tournament (not counting the COVID season in 2020).
G-P has won three state titles during the run and had two runners-up.
The Highlanders won state in 2018, 2022, and 2024.
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