The Greeneville Lady Devils celebrated Breast Cancer Awareness Month in style Tuesday, opening the District 2-AA tournament with a commanding 9-0 win over Claiborne. The victory advances Greeneville to the championship game for the 22nd consecutive year and secures their spot in next week’s Region 1 tournament.
Coach Jerry Graham was pleased with his team’s focus and execution. “The girls came in and put a lot of good work in after some time off,” Graham said. “It was good to see it carry over to the big field today.”
The Lady Devils patiently moved the ball early, looking for the right opportunity to strike. They appeared to score first when Peyton Vaught found the back of the net after a Vivian Kammerdiener penalty kick was deflected by the Bulldog keeper, but the goal was waived off due to an offsides call.
Greeneville didn’t have to wait long to get on the board. In the 10th minute, Kinsley Spradlen took a pass from Ava Daniel and buried a shot from a tough angle to give the Lady Devils a 1-0 lead.
Seven minutes later, Kammerdiener, returning from injury, and Matea Gray each netted one-on-one goals to extend the lead to 3-0. “Other players have had to play different positions in Viv’s absence,” Graham explained. “Getting her back allows players like Kins and Vaughn to move back out, use their strengths, and give us a lot more different things.”
In quick succession, Greeneville’s lead ballooned to 5-0 as Gray notched her second goal in the 19th minute, followed by a 20-yard strike from Kammerdiener in the 20th.
Julieann Raby made it 6-0 just two minutes later, taking a short entry pass off a corner kick and driving it into the far corner from a difficult angle. Aliyah Johnson added two more goals before halftime, capping off the first-half rout and sealing the 9-0 final.
With the win, Greeneville advances to face Volunteer, who edged Grainger 2-1, in the district championship Thursday night at Fox Field. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
Coach Graham said his team remains focused heading into the title match. “They’re a very attentive group,” he said. “They try to take what we do in practice and bring it to the pitch every time we play another opponent.”
