Baylor girls repeat as soccer state champions with another shutout
As the final horn sounded with Baylor having secured its 11th TSSAA girls' soccer state championship and second in a row, junior center back Zoe Misenhimer sprinted toward senior goalkeeper Sara Hill for a lasting embrace.
The celebration was on Friday evening after Misenhimer's dramatic score, Hill's protection of the net and outstanding defensive play from junior Lily Catalanotto all played a part in a 2-0 victory over Knoxville Webb in the Division II-AA final at Boyd Buchanan. One day after their 1-0 semifinal victory over Nashville's Lipscomb Academy, the Lady Red Raiders again denied their opposition the opportunity to celebrate even a score.
This was the first time in program history that Baylor, which finished this season with an 18-4-2 record, did not allow a goal at the state tournament in consecutive years. A year ago, the Lady Red Raiders beat Hutchison 2-0 in the semifinals and Harpeth Hall 3-0 for the title.
"It's unbelievable when you sit back and realize we haven't given up a goal in the state tournament the past two years," said head coach Curtis Blair, who has been a part of eight state championship teams with Baylor soccer since arriving in 2006. "I think our girls woke up this morning, and they felt like, 'Hey, we are going to win this.'
"I am so proud of them. They earned this championship. Nothing was given to us. We went and earned this state title."
Hill, who has committed to Kennesaw State University, helped cement her legacy as one of the top keepers in Lady Red Raiders history as the first of her four saves in the title match came in a crucial moment. With Knox Webb's attack bearing down on her in the 15th minute, she dove to her right to knock out a well-struck ball that for a second seemed destined to find the back of the net.
In addition to being the program's fourth straight shutout in state tournament matches, the clean sheet was Baylor's 11th of the season.
"What a lot of people don't know is Sara is having knee surgery on Wednesday," Blair said. "She has played all season with an injury that has been killing her. She has spent so much time in our training room, but she never complains. She goes out and does her job and puts the team before herself. That is a tribute to the type of girls we have. They care about Baylor and our team more than anything else."
Standing in front of Hill all season has been Misenhimer, who was honored as the MVP of Friday's championship match, having provided a game-changing goal 4.9 seconds before halftime.
Afer setting the ball down in a hurry, Misenhimer struck a 35-yard free kick perfectly. The shot was a line drive until dipping at just the right moment, sinking below the crossbar but above the keeper's leaping attempt and then into the top left portion of the net to make it 1-0 at the break.
"I have been working on my free kicks all season, and to put that one away in the last seconds of the first half was such a surreal moment," Misenhimer said. "Our team's energy all of a sudden shot through the roof, and we had the momentum to keep going and win another state title. There is no greater feeling."
Baylor's attack was led by junior spark plug Emily Betterton. As the quickest player on the field, Betterton cut off a goal kick attempt by Knox Webb (16-2-1), then buried her shot into a back corner of the net to make it 2-0 in the 54th minute.
Betterton's goal came on her third shot, and it all but sealed the outcome with the Lady Red Raiders having allowed more than one goal just twice in 2024. The Lady Spartans had outscored opponents a combined 78-11 this season, including Thursday's 1-0 win over Harpeth Hall and two previous home wins against Baylor — 2-1 in the regular season and 1-0 in the DII-AA East Region title match — but the Lady Red Raiders were determined to finish as winners.
Given a third shot at Knox Webb, they captured yet another championship.
"This all came down to how bad we wanted to win state," Betterton said, adding that knowing the Lady Red Raiders had a chance to repeat meant " there wasn't anything that could stop us. Great teams have great teammates, and that's what we have on this team."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.
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