East Hamilton’s Yinka Ladapo, No. 7, and Oak Ridge’s Lauryn Adkisson react to the ball during an August game at Redoubt.Sometimes, a program needs to take a step back before it takes a major step forward. The Grace Academy girls’ soccer team reversed that pattern last week.
The Lady Golden Eagles claimed one of the most important victories in Gretchen Hammel’s coaching tenure when they defeated ninth-ranked McMinn Central 3-2 last Tuesday but then had one of their biggest disappointments when they tied Sweetwater 1-1. A victory over the Lady Wildcats would have pressed Grace into a three-team tie with Boyd-Buchanan and McMinn Central, each with one league loss.
The Lady Golden Eagles, now 7-4-1 overall and 4-1-1 in District 5-A/AA, probably will settle into the third seed when the district tournament starts Oct. 15.
“It was the biggest blow of the season — big-time,” Hammel said of the Sweetwater tie. “We had so many opportunities, but it was like nothing went our way.
“We just made the road a lot more difficult and harder, but I think we can still come out on top.”