Hurricanes carry late momentum into state soccer tournament

Soccer tile
Soccer tile

The East Hamilton boys' soccer team has approached three of its last five matches as the underdog. Apparently, this afternoon will make four out of six.

Not that the Hurricanes mind.

State soccer first-round matches

At Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in MurfreesboroToday Class AAA quarterfinal * East Hamilton vs. Science Hill, 5:30Class A/AA quarterfinal * Chattanooga Christian vs. Sheffield, 7:30Wednesday Division II-AA semifinals * Baylor vs. Christian Brothers, 5:30 * McCallie vs. Montgomery Bell Academy, 5:30

They overcame a 1-5-1 start to the season and have been their best in the 2015 postseason, winning six consecutive matches to reach their first-ever Class AAA state tournament, adding to trips they made in 2011 and 2013 as an A/AA program. They'll face fifth-ranked Science Hill (19-2-2) today at 5:30 p.m. EDT at the Richard Siegel complex in Murfreesboro.

East Hamilton (10-7-2) -- the first area Class AAA team to advance to state since Cleveland in 2009 -- is perceived by many to be one of the weaker sides in the eight-team draw, in part due to its record. Yet it has played four other teams that are playing in the various classifications this week in Spring Fling (Baylor, Christ Presbyterian Academy, Chattanooga Christian and Cookeville), as well as Fort Payne, which won the Class 6A state championship in Alabama recently.

In addition, injuries decimated the Hurricanes throughout the season. They have played only their last three matches with a full squad.

In the most recent game -- a 3-2 sectional win over Columbia Central -- Thomas Barcelona, one of the players back from injury, scored on a header that gave East Hamilton a two-goal edge in the second half.

"I told the boys all season long that we're shooting for the postseason when it matters," East Hamilton coach Patrick Daverson said Monday. "We want to be good, but we wanted to focus on the things to get better."

Cooper Loftin, who was named the District 5-AAA midfielder of the year, said the team has understood the underdog label and in fact has embraced it.

"We had a slow start at the beginning of the season, so we sat down as a team to come together," he said. "We know our run has been surprising. Some of the teams we've beat most feel we shouldn't have, so I know they're surprised and feel we shouldn't be here.

"We're just trying to prove everybody wrong. Our run has been the best moment of my high school career."

His second? Signing a soccer scholarship with Bryan College.

While the Hurricanes are focused only on Science Hill at the moment, they realize there is no easy path from this point forward. Not that there have been any so far.

"We have a tough road in front of us, no doubt," Daverson said. "Science Hill is a great team, and it's nothing for them to be in the state tournament. They're a good team, but at this level everybody's good.

"You don't have to be the best team in the state to win. You just have to be the best team on the field that day."

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.

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