CCS falls in battle between perennial powers
The Chattanooga Christian soccer team was elated to learn that the blind draw for bracket placement matched the Chargers with Christian Academy of Knoxville in the first round. CCS, last year's state champ, was eager to take on this season’s favorite—and the team that has dominated Class A/AA for nearly a decade—as soon as possible.
After the two teams battled for 100 minutes Tuesday night at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex, both coaches admitted that the game felt like a state championship.
It was exactly how CCS had pictured it—a tight game between arguably the two best teams in A/AA—until the ending.
CAK’s Stevie Thompson skipped a low drive through a crowded penalty box and into the lower corner in the 83rd minute for the game’s only goal. The season, and the career for 12 CCS seniors, came to a close.
“They’ve had three district, three regional, four sectional titles, a state championship, a runner-up, they’ve won about 100 games in four years,” CCS coach Shawn Brower said of the 2012 senior class. “But it’s really not about all the stats. … The obstacles, the adversity—just look at this year—we were in four overtime games and it didn’t matter if we were up, down or tied, they just refused to quit.”
CAK dominated possession and had more opportunities throughout the game, but CCS held for the 80 minutes of regulation. Both teams had late opportunities that led to shots on goal, but neither converted.
Thompson's free kick came three minutes into the first extra segment, after a CCS handball about 30 yards from goal.
“It was a very good atmosphere,” CAK coach Kurt Backstrom said. “We’d hoped for one breakthrough but we knew weren’t going to get many. … It could have gone either way.”
CAK will face White House Wednesday in a semifinal contest.
“I told (the players) before the game, ‘This is a state championship game,’” Brower said. “I’d be a little surprised if CAK doesn’t win it now.”
Baylor takes down defending champs
The defending Division II-AA state baseball champions became John Tipton’s latest victim Tuesday night. Baylor’s senior pitcher improved to 6-0 this season with a seven-inning shutout over Christian Brothers at Wilson Central High School, just outside of Murfreesboro. Tipton added three RBIs, while Colton Jumper provided the primary offensive spark, going 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
Baylor won 10-0 and will play Battle Ground Academy in a semifinal game at approximately 12:30 p.m. CST Wednesday at Wilson Central.
Tipton scattered seven hits and walked four, but Christian Brothers was unable to push across a run.
The Red Raiders scored six in the third inning, aided by two Christian Brothers’ errors. The 6-0 score remained until the top of the seventh, when Baylor scored its final four runs.
Christian Brothers faces Memphis University School in an elimination game Wednesday morning.
More notes from Tuesday
Baseball
- Despite six strong innings from Blake Winstead, Red Bank moved to within one game of elimination, after losing to McNairy Central, 2-1, in an opening-round game. Winstead went six innings and gave up just one earned run, but Dakota Rhoden struck out 10 for McNairy to earn the win. Red Bank plays Pigeon Forge Wednesday morning at Blackman High School.
Softball
- Soddy-Daisy and Daniel Boone carried a scoreless tie into the eighth inning in an opening round game in Class AAA. The Lady Trojans scored twice, though, in the eighth, and Kelsey Nunley completed the shutout.
- GPS advanced in the winners' bracket of the Division II-AA tournament with a 5-0 victory over St. Benedict. The Bruisers got two hits and three RBIs from Madison Boyd, while Madi Stanley pitched a three-hit shutout.
- Both Grace Academy and Silverdale Academy fell in their opening-round games in the Class A tournament. Grace lost 4-2 to Forest and will play University School of Jackson Wednesday. Silverdale lost 5-2 to Trinity Christian and will play Moore County.
Soccer
- Notre Dame led 1-0 throughout most of the first half of its first-round game against David Lipscomb, but finished the first 40 minutes tied at one after a late goal. Lipscomb then scored two goals in the final five minutes of the second half to knock the Irish from the Class A/AA tournament.
Tennis
-The Notre Dame girls tennis team advanced to the state final for the first time in school history, beating Page High School, 4-0. The Irish will play Christian Academy of Knoxville Wednesday morning.
- The Collegedale Academy boys’ tennis team advanced to the team tennis final with a 4-1 victory over Huntington. The Eagles will face Christ Presbyterian Academy Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. for the title.
- The Baylor and GPS girls tennis teams advanced to the Division II team tournament final with commanding victories in the semifinals Tuesday. Both the McCallie and Baylor boys teams lost their semifinal matches and were eliminated from the team tournament. The Baylor girls, which swept Harpeth Hall, 5-0, in the semifinals, will play GPS, which beat Hutchison, in the final Wednesday morning. Baylor has beaten GPS three times this season.