The Hixson High School girls' soccer team is moving on to play in its second straight District 6-A/AA title game after a 7-1 home win over Tyner on Tuesday.
The Lady Wildcats (11-7) got off to a slow start on the rain-soaked pitch but went on to dominate the semifinal contest.
Karla Martinez netted the first goal in the fourth minute, but Hixson allowed an own goal to even the score at 1. Both teams struggled to hold possession in the tough conditions, and the hosts could not find a rhythm early.
"We didn't play up to our potential," said Lady Wildcats coach Jeff Dean. "We were coming off a big win against Ooltewah, and they were just trying to hurry and do everything too fast. The wet field didn't help."
Hixson scored two more goals in the first half, one from a heads-up play by Savannah Keef on a rebound and the other off the left foot of Samantha Green, who tucked it in neatly inside the left post from outside the box.
Although they took a 3-1 lead into halftime, the Lady Wildcats played their best in the second half.
"We made some changes at half," Dean said. "We told them to be more patient and talk more and keep the ball on the ground, which we didn't do in the first half. We wanted to move the ball around more."
Green completed a hat trick with two scores in the second half, and an own goal also slipped through. Peyton Burgin smacked a penalty kick off the bottom of the crossbar and over the line for the final goal of the game.
The Lady Wildcats outshot the Lady Rams 14-0, with 10 attempts in the first half. Green, Martinez and Alex Swafford tallied assists for Hixson, and Tyner's LeAundra Melton had four saves.
Tyner finished with its best season in the program's young history, holding a record over .500 at 8-6.
"To be top four in our district is an honor and a blessing," Lady Rams coach Randy Young said. "We hung tough with them in the first half, but with their depth they wore us down. We had our best season ever, and finishing over .500 is something you strive for when building a program. We're losing five seniors, but we'll pick it up and be ready to go next year."
Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com.