MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – For a team that has struggled to score goals at times this season, the Red Bank High School soccer team found itself in a vastly different situation Tuesday afternoon.
Two goals in the first 12 minutes of their Class AA state quarterfinal match put the Lions in a winning situation, but it also put them on their heels as head coach Chris Tillett was unsure how aggressive he wanted his club to be, but in the end it was just enough.
The Lions claimed their first state tournament victory in program history Tuesday, defeating defending state champion Austin-East 2-1 at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex. Red Bank (17-5-2) will face Page, which defeated South Gibson 4-0 in another quarter, in Wednesday’s semifinal at 5:30 Eastern.
Soddy-Daisy, which advanced to the state tournament for the second time in school history and the first since 2000, fell 2-1 to Valor College Prep. The Trojans’ goal was an own goal by Valor.
The Lions received goals by Mohamed Mansaray and Josiah Tillett, both unassisted.