The Webb-Knoxville Spartans faced the CPA Lions in a TSSAA Division II-A state tournament semifinal on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Webb won 5-3. (Photo by Danny Parker)
By DAVE LINK
MURFREESBORO – Living the dream.
That was how the Webb School of Knoxville boys’ soccer team spent Wednesday in the Division II-A state soccer semifinals.
Junior team captain Ben Pensky had two goals and two assists as the Spartans (19-0) defeated Nashville’s Christ Presbyterian Academy 5-3 at Siegel Soccer Complex.
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Webb will play Franklin’s Grace Christian Academy (20-1-1) for the state championship Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Grace Christian advanced with a 3-2 victory Thursday over Chattanooga Boyd-Buchanan.
“It’s a day we’ve been waiting for since we were in seventh and eighth grade,” Pensky said. “I think we’ll be ready just because of that, and we all can’t wait and I think it’s going to be good.”
CPA (14-5-1) took a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute Wednesday on a goal by Jayce Harvey.
Webb answered almost immediately – just like it did when falling behind by 1-0 scores this year against Farragut and Maryville.
In the 23rd minute, Pensky made a long pass to Garrett Webb for the goal, tying the match at 1-all.
“If you see our team’s posture after we give up a goal like that,” Pensky said, “we’re either trying to get guys back up, or we’re ready to go. We’re trying to get the ball back to half field (to start playing again) as soon as we can and then go back at it. I think our Maryville game we went down 1-0 and then we scored 14 seconds later. It’s really just been about getting our heads back in the game and getting the ball back to half field.”
Pensky put the Spartans ahead 2-1 in the 28th minute.
Marcus Orton booted a corner kick and a scrum ensued in front of CPA keeper Hunter Walker. Preston Holmes headed a ball that Walker stopped, but Pensky was there to finish.
After the halftime, leading 2-1, Webb scored three goals in the first 5 minutes of the second half.
“Sometimes it just feels like we’re this tidal wave that is getting held back,” Webb coach Jared Ziegler said, “and then eventually the dam just breaks. It’s insane. We saw it today, three goals in five minutes. Wild. It’s just hard to mentally recover from that, and I’ve been on the other end of that, too.”
Spencer Bernard’s goal off Pensky’s assist made it 3-1 in the 43rd minute.
Less than a minute later, Pierce Miller dribbled through the CPA defense and knocked a shot past Walker for a 4-1 lead.
In the 44th minute, Pensky drilled a shot from about 25 yards past Walker.
“I practice that shot a lot, just taking balls out of the air,” Pensky said. “When I saw it coming to me and I saw an open shot in the right corner, I just knew where to put it and then obviously we went pretty crazy afterwards.
“We were talking about how it was probably the most fun 7 minutes of our lives in soccer. You think about the state tournament your whole life growing up as a soccer player, and then we scored three goals in (5) minutes. We just felt like we were on top of the world. It was awesome.”
CPA wasn’t done, though.
With several of Webb’s starters on the bench, Harvey scored off an assist by Patrick Lee in the 54th minute, and Harvey scored again in the 76th minute after a cross by Brewer Myers.
“They got themselves back in this game and they made it nerve-wracking for us, maybe for me,” Ziegler said. “I think (the players) felt better than I did, but I was feeling nervous. But every guy on the roster fought really hard today and that’s what we want. That’s what we need at this time of year.”
Ziegler was glad to get his players some rest – even though his nerves got tested – so they’ll be ready for Thursday.
“It’ll be hard to sleep tonight, for sure, just thinking about approaching this game tomorrow,” Ziegler said. “These guys have earned the right to be here. We’ve talked about that this week too. It’s not an accident that we’re here. It’s no mistake. It’s much more than just this year, the work they’ve put in.
“It’s all the work they’ve put in through club soccer, through years past with Webb School. They’ve earned this from years of work, not just four months or whatever our season is. I just want it for them more than anything because they deserve the opportunity to play in the game obviously, but then to hopefully to hoist that trophy too tomorrow night.”