Even with a young team trying to find its way early in the season, Cleveland coach Andy Byrd never envisioned his Lady Raiders not playing for a District 5-AAA championship.
Not even after a 1-3-1 start to begin the season did his spirits ever waver.
Now, 11 wins later, he’s right where he believed they would be.
The Lady Raiders (12-6-2) head into tonight’s championship contest with third-ranked and top-seeded Soddy-Daisy (17-0-2) as a hot team, with nine wins and a tie in their last 12 games. The two losses came at the hands of 11th-ranked Murfreesboro Siegel and the same Lady Trojans they will face at 7 p.m. at the Soddy-Daisy soccer field.
“I think we’re peaking,” Byrd said. “The bubble is getting fat; I just hope it won’t bust.”
Cleveland came into the year with a solid defensive foundation of senior defenders Katelyn McChesney and Jenna Stewart, and goalkeeper Alison Simpson. What they didn’t know, was how they were going to score goals, especially after the graduation of Emily Jones — who scored 155 goals in her four-year career — and junior forward Hannah Ellis, who had 18 goals and 11 assists in 2009 but tore her ACL and was lost for the year.
What he got was a lot of production from junior Kaitlyn Poulakis, who leads the team in goals (11) and assists (8), and added productivity from a trio of freshmen forwards — Hope Haas, McKenzie Harris and Bayleigh Ellis.
“We’ve got a few really good freshmen that are potentially game-changers,” Byrd said. “They can give us results, and I have to play those who can give us results — even if it’s not the popular decision.
“They’re picking up on the physicality of high school soccer.”
The 5-AAA clash is one of four area district title battles taking place. In 7-A/AA, third-ranked Notre Dame (5-7-3) and seventh-ranked Chattanooga Christian (10-7-2) will once again face off for the district title. The two teams tied during the regular season, but the Lady Chargers are riding high after a penalty-kick victory over sixth-ranked Signal Mountain on Tuesday.
East Hamilton (13-3-2) and Arts & Sciences (11-2-1) will play at 7 at the Redoubt Soccer Complex for the 6-A/AA title. The ninth-ranked Lady Hurricanes earned a 2-1 victory over the Lady Patriots, who are the defending district champions.
In 5-A/AA, McMinn Central (7-5-2) will travel to Boyd-Buchanan. The Lady Bucs (12-3-2) won the regular-season game 2-1.
On Saturday, GPS (6-6-6) will travel to take on Battle Ground Academy (7-9) in the first round of the Division II-AA state tournament.
DISTRICT TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, Oct. 21
District 5-A/AA
McMinn Central at Boyd-Buchanan, 7
District 6-A/AA
Arts & Sciences vs. East Hamilton at Redoubt, 7
District 7-A/AA
Chattanooga Christian at Notre Dame, 7
District 5-AAA
Cleveland at Soddy-Daisy, 7
Saturday, Oct. 23
Division II-AA State First Round
GPS at Battle Ground Academy, 3:30