The Greeneville girls soccer team started this month with a losing record after a grueling schedule that included some of the state’s best teams, but since the calendar turned over to October the Lady Devils are riding a six-game win streak in to the Class AA State Tournament.
The Lady Greene Devils are playing in their 10th straight state tournament and will kickoff the state quarterfinals at Chattanooga Christian School against Franklin County at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
“To carry on this tradition is great. We lost six starters from last year and getting back here was hard,” Greeneville coach Jerry Graham said. “These girls have come in and worked hard. Our record might not show it, but these girls have built as the year has gone on. They have taken their lumps and they have learned. This group is constantly trying to improve and that has gotten us to where we are now.”
Franklin County is making its fourth straight trip to the state tournament, but it has never won a state tournament match. The Lady Patriots enter the contest with a 17-3-1 record. They beat Lenior City 6-2 in the state sectionals. In the Region 4AA championship game they beat Livingston Academy 6-0, and in the District 8AA championship they beat Tullahoma 2-0.
The Lady Patriots will bring a dangerous offense into the game with Osiris Rodriguez, Laura Buenrostro and Gracen Baggett all connecting on 18 or more goals on the season.
Greeneville enters the state tournament with a 13-8 record after a season where injuries moved players around the formation throughout the season, and that was after it replaced six starters from last year’s state runner up squad.
“There was lot of doubt coming into this year after we lost so many players, but I think we showed everyone that our hard work paid off,” Greeneville Gabi Stayton said. “Every day at practice we gave it our all. The coaches have helped us along, and they really kept us focused. I think we have a lot of hope going to Chattanooga, we just have to bring it.”
In five postseason games Greeneville has outscored its opponents 30-3. The Lady Devils beat Grainger 9-0 for the District 2AA championship. They beat Tennessee High 3-2 on a penalty kick shootout for the Region 1AA championship, and they beat Seymour 2-1 in the state sectionals.
In Saturday’s state sectional win over Seymour Greeneville’s Abby Adkins scored twice and in the postseason she has led the way with 12 goals for the Lady Devils. In addition to Adkins Greeneville has capable offensive weapons in Matea Gray, Vivian Kammerdiener and Gabi Stayton.
On defense keeper Lily Evatt has been tough beat and showed off her talents in the region championship against Tennessee High with a handful of tough saves, including two in the penalty kick shootout.
“I feel like we re playing pretty well right now,” Graham said. “I feel like we are hitting our stride right now. We may not have shown it against Seymour, but this postseason I think we have played about as well as we can. We are peaking at the time we want to.”
On the same side of the bracket as Greeneville and Franklin County are South Gibson and Signal Mountain. On the opposite side of the bracket Tennessee High will play Brighton, and Station Camp will play Valor Prep.
