Gatlinburg-Pittman soccer coach Zach Schrandt enjoys a moment in the second half of the Highlanders’ 9-0 win over Memphis East in the Class A state quarterfinals at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro, on Tuesday, May 25, 2021. (Photo: Danny Parker)
By Jesse Smithey
MURFREESBORO — Shortly after Oscar Turcios scored his second goal of the first half Tuesday, Gatlinburg-Pittman boys soccer coach Zach Schrandt voiced his displeasure over his players’ lack of enthusiasm over the score.
The Highlanders were up 2-0 in the 15th minute of the Class A state quarterfinal, and they were treating the moment like some preseason jayvee game.
Schrandt — as high energy as they come — wanted to see his players relish the setting a little more.
After all, there was no season nor postseason in 2020.
“Sometimes, I think we’re just a bit robotic,” said Schrandt. “It’s like, ‘Hey, yeah, we’re going to Murfreesboro again.’
“It’s like, ‘Guys, enjoy the moment!’”
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The Highlanders heeded their coach’s advice the rest of the way and cruised to a 9-0 win over Memphis East. The led by eight goals at the half before the game was called during the second half.
Gatlinburg-Pittman (19-3-2) advances to Wednesday’s state semifinal to face Signal Mountain (12-3-3) at 1:30 p.m. in Murfreesboro.
The Highlanders should feel quite comfortable in the latter rounds of this tournament. They won state in 2018 and finished runner-up in 2019.
Memphis East (6-7-1) was making its first state appearance and it clearly showed. They struggled to even get across midfield against a seasoned and motivated G-P team.
Turcio got the scoring going Tuesday with his goal in the eighth minute. He added a second in the 15th minute.
By game’s end, he had seven goals.
Seven.
The TSSAA website does not have an individual single-game record for goals scored.
Bryson Flynn and Johny Adair had the other two.
G-P finished with 27 gots to East’s three.
“It was a bit more fun. I think they started to enjoy it a little bit,” said Schrandt.
Schrandt and G-P know the semifinals is when the competition really ramps up. And the Highlanders are salivating for another chance to face Austin-East, which beat them in the region championship.
The only way to get that chance is to win on Wednesday.
AUSTIN-EAST MOVES ON WITH EASE
The Austin-East Roadrunners faced the Gibson County Pioneers in a TSSAA Class A state tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Austin-East won 8-0. (Photo by Danny Parker)
If Austin-East had any first-timer nerves Tuesday, it didn’t show. Once they got their first goal in a Class A state quarterfinal against Gibson County, the floodgates opened.
The Roadrunners stormed to a five-goal halftime lead and then coasted the rest of the way to an 8-0 victory.
Seven of the eight goals were unassisted, and seven different Roadrunners scored on Tuesday.
Austin-East’s season has been one of firsts: the first region title, the first sectional win and now the first state-tournament win.
Ezekiel Nsabiyunva got the the Roadrunners on the board first with a goal in the 13th minute.
Some 10 minutes later, A-E led 5-0. Masudi Nyembo, Cheikhna Seck, E. Torres-Gahmez, Tumusifu Emmanuel, Ezzuldin Fawwaz and Brian Carmona all netted goals.
Nsaybiyunva got his second goal in the 68th minute.
The Roadrunners (13-2-1) advanced to face Merrol Hyde (15-4-1) at 1:30 p.m. Central on Wednesday in Murfreesboro. Hyde, like Austin-East, is in its first-ever state tournament,.
Merrol Hyde is based in Hendersonville.