For most of the season, District 7-A/AA has had three teams ranked in the top 10 of the state girls' soccer poll.
After tonight, only two will be playing.
Sixth-ranked Signal Mountain will host seventh-ranked Chattanooga Christian tonight at 7 in a district-tournament semifinal. The winner will move on to the Region 4-A/AA tournament after meeting third-ranked Notre Dame in the district championship game Thursday. The Lady Irish (4-7-3) advanced to the district final when Sequatchie County decided to forfeit their semifinal contest.
"It just makes for whoever comes out of there alive to be a strong team," Signal Mountain coach Pam Shelton said. "It doesn't seem fair, but unfortunately in life nothing is fair. Our girls are going to work as hard as we can.
"The girls ask me why our district is that way, especially when they see teams in other districts in surrounding areas that they've beaten. I don't have an answer; I wasn't coaching in this area when the new realignment was drawn up, so I don't know. I guess that's how the cards go."
The Lady Eagles won the regular-season meeting, defeating CCS 2-1 after trailing at halftime. Notre Dame defeated Signal 1-0 but played to a scoreless tie against the Lady Chargers (9-7-2) during the regular season.
In District 6-A/AA semifinals tonight, ninth-ranked East Hamilton (12-3-2) will host East Ridge (10-8) at the Redoubt soccer complex and Arts & Sciences (10-2-1) will host Hixson (10-7). In District 5-A/AA, top-seeded Boyd-Buchanan (10-3-2) will host Grace Academy and second-seeded McMinn Central (6-5-2) will entertain Silverdale Baptist.
Ooltewah will visit Soddy-Daisy and McMinn County will visit Cleveland in District 5-AAA.
DISTRICT SEMIFINALS
District 5-A/AA
Silverdale Baptist at McMinn Central, 5
Grace Academy at Boyd-Buchanan, 7
District 6-A/AA
East Ridge at East Hamilton (Redoubt), 7
Hixson at Arts & Sciences, 7
District 7-A/AA
Chattanooga Christian at Signal Mountain, 7
District 5-AAA
Ooltewah at Soddy-Daisy, 7
McMinn County at Cleveland, 7