Tears soon turned to smiles for the Signal Mountain girls’ soccer program after falling just short to defending TSSAA Class 2A state champion Liberty Creek, 2-1, in Tuesday’s state quarterfinal at Baylor School.
For four Lady Eagle seniors, the past four seasons all culminated in a run to the state tournament and a total of 58 wins.
“You guys are amazing, and I am going to miss you so much,” senior forward Savanna Filar told her teammates before breaking down the postgame huddle for the final time. “You all made this season so enjoyable, and I love you so much. We (the seniors) can’t wait to see what happens next year. This has been a great four years, and there are many more to come for this program.”
With the words “In Memory of Coach Daverson” written in bold sharpie on their legs, Signal Mountain (13-6-2) provided a fight all the way to the finish as they continued to honor their beloved assistant coach who passed away last November.
Junior star Caroline Usrey scored on a breakaway in the 71st minute set up by a perfect lead pass by sophomore Wren Hurst. Usrey’s 13th goal of the season in her 12th appearance sent the Lady Eagles’ fanbase into a frenzy that continued until the final minute.