CLASS AAA SEMIFINALSFRANKLIN 7, SODDY-DAISY 1Halftime score: 3-0. Goals: Chesney White 2, Lyndie Donegan 2, Liza Harbin 2, Josie Deere (F); Summer Lanter (SD). Assists: Donegan, Deere, Morgan Key-Adams, Mackenzie Moore, Ally Coady (F); Hannah Wyatt (SD). Shots: Franklin, 24-2. Saves: Haley Myers 9 (SD). Records: Franklin 23-0; Soddy-Daisy 19-3-2.FARRAGUT 2, HOUSTON 2 (Farragut 5-4 PKs)Halftime score: Farragut, 2-1. Goals: Lilly Moore, Skylar Brewer (F); Monica Ziebart, Kelsey Pearce (H). Assists: Joanda Parchman 2 (F); Olivia Harrison 2 (H). Penalty-kick scores: Moore, Josie Jennings, Katie Cloub, Katie Beuerlein, Chelsea Jordan (F); Harrison, Olivia Depietro, Kendall Hammett, Lauren Albright (H). Shots: Farragut, 19-14. Saves: Kelsey Cunningham 8 (H); Katie Hill 6 (F). Records: Farragut 24-0-2; Houston 18-3-2.
"Don't be sad that it's over. Be happy that it happened."
Those were the words spoken by Soddy-Daisy junior Summer Lanter to her teammates before they closed their final huddle of the season after the Lady Trojans' 7-1 loss to top-ranked Franklin in the semifinals of the Class AAA state soccer tournament Thursday at Baylor.
Soddy-Daisy wound up 19-3-2, while the Lady Rebels improved to 23-0 and will face Farragut (24-0-2) in the championship match Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at GPS.
The Lady Admirals advanced with a 5-4 advantage in penalty kicks against two-time defending champion Houston in the other semifinal. They were tied 2-2 through regulation.
Lanter scored Soddy-Daisy's goal in the 77th minute off a pass from Hannah Wyatt. That was Lanter's 32nd goal of the season and Wyatt's 25th assist.
The Lady Trojans earned their first-ever state tournament win Wednesday when they defeated Collierville 2-0.
The Franklin team that Soddy-Daisy coach Moises Drumond scouted Wednesday was not the one his team faced Thursday evening. The Lady Rebels' passes were crisper, the shots better and the attack more fluid. They took a 1-0 advantage five minutes in on the first of two Chesney White goals and never looked back.
"They're really fast," Drumond said. "They got the momentum five minutes in with that goal and just kept it. Before the first goal, we were more relaxed than we were yesterday, but once they got the momentum, they never let it go.
"We were on such a high last night, and it was hard to get there today, but the girls never gave up and I'm proud of the way they battled."
Said White, who has committed to UNC Greensboro: "We knew that we started off slow yesterday, and that wasn't the best we could play. We wanted to prove to people that we were a better team than we showed."
Lyndie Donegan, who assisted on White's first goal, added two goals of her own before halftime as the Lady Rebels dominated play throughout the match. Liza Harden added two second-half goals and Josie Deere scored in the final minute.
"We finished a lot better today; we didn't have a slow start today," Franklin coach Jimmy Burchett said. "The girls are focused on the goal of getting a state championship, and they're just continuing to play.
"I thought the girls had hit a lull during the season, but they told me that they just hadn't peaked yet. It's a good thing when you still haven't played your best match."
In the other semifinal, Farragut went 5-for-6 on PKs after Lilly Moore and Skylar Brewer scored from Joanda Parchman assists in regulation. Monica Ziebart and Kelsey Pearce had Houston's goals, both assisted by Olivia Harrison.