Baylor girls one win from back-to-back soccer state titles
The Baylor School girls' soccer team is one win from repeating as TSSAA Division II-AA's state champion.
After scoring in the Lady Red Raiders' 1-0 semifinal victory over Nashville's Lipscomb Academy on Thursday at GPS, junior Hadley Griffith summed up why her team will have that opportunity.
"Our team is big on offense wins games and defense wins championships," Griffith said. "We have a very solid back line that holds it down for us. They have let in very few goals this year, and they have helped our offense create a lot of opportunities for shots. Our center back, Zoe Misenhimer, plays a bunch of great balls in for us.
"Once we score, we are good at dropping and covering. Not much gets past us."
With senior keeper Sara Hill directing yet another defensive gem, the Lady Red Raiders were dominant as they finished with significant advantages in shots, 14-2, and corner kicks, 8-2, while bringing Lipscomb's season to a close at 12-4-1. The only real threat by the Lady Mustangs came in the final four minutes, on a corner kick that went right in front of the goal but was untouched by both teams.
Junior center forward Ryleigh Ramey had helped generate all the offense needed in the 21st minute, when she found Griffith behind the left side of the defense for a perfect one-touch strike that tipped off the keeper's hands and into the back right corner of the net for the lone goal.
Griffith, who transferred from Chattanooga Christian after a freshman season in which she accounted for 19 goals, has now scored in back-to-back state tournament wins for Baylor (17-4-2). Next up for the Lady Red Raiders is a familiar foe, fellow East Region program Knoxville Webb (16-1-1), with the title on the line at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Boyd Buchanan.
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