MURFREESBORO -- Heartbreak arrives in different avenues.

Webb's Josh Ferrell (left) elevates in attempt to win a ball against St. George's Austin Burress. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

For high school athletes, there can be only one team standing in the end.

Through 105 gut-wrenching minutes, Webb stood toe-to-toe with St. George's in the Division II Class A state championship match.

Goalkeeper Zach Crownover totaled saves too numerous to count in helping keep his Feet in it.

In the end, it was a slight tap off the foot of St. George's Matthew Sims that eased over the outstretched arm of Crownover with 4:12 left in the fourth overtime that gave the Gryphons the title.

Feet freshman Zach Wagner (22) pops a ball over the Gryphon defense. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

"There's not a single person that can doubt that we're the No. 2 team in our state after today because we did to (St. George's) what none of the other teams could do," said Webb coach Adrian Anderson, whose 48-year-old program played in their first TSSAA state tournament since joining up four years ago.

"They played all the Memphis teams out there and blew them away. They played USN (on Thursday) and beat them 6-1 and it wasn't even that close."

One of the main advantages St. George's (10-3-3) owned heading in was the experience of having nine seniors and a pair of juniors in the starting lineup. In stark contrast, Webb ran seven freshmen, two juniors, one senior and one sophomore onto the pitch at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex.

Webb's Sebastian Skordallos bangs into St. George's Ryan Doolin (16). (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

"Yeah, they held possession a lot more than we did, but we knew that going in," Anderson said. "Instead of trying to fight through that, we went with it and we rode that. We weren't giving up any gaps. We were sitting in the passing lanes, and it worked because we were this close to going to PKs. And I guarantee you if we go to PKs, we win it."

The Gryphons banged shots off the cross bar with 1:02 remaining in regulation and again with 3:21 to go in the second 10-minute overtime period.

Crownover's talent took over on numerous other instances, leaving his feet several times to get his paws on shots. He wowed everyone in sight of the match with barely a minute to play in the initial overtime when he laid out to make a save and then flopped around like a fish on deck to reel off two more game-savers.

The junior goalie was quick to give thanks to the blue shirts that manned up in front of him.

Feet junior Daniel Hoover gets a leg up on the competition. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

"Our defense played good," he said. "I didn't really have to make anything that spectacular. They knocked down most of the stuff and didn't really give them an open shot."

Webb's season comes to a close with a final record of 12-5-2.

"I love the attitudes all these boys have had this year," Anderson said. "They've worked their butt off the entire year. No matter what I've asked them to do, they buried their head down and did it. That's why we've gotten this far."

With a deep pool of talent like freshmen Josh Ferrell, Zach Wagner and Adam Brooks scheduled to return to Bell Buckle in '09, the Feet are poised to return to the Spring Fling and finish the job. Ferrell wound up with 14 goals and eight assists. Wagner tallied nine goals and seven assists.

Sean Kim is the only departing starter, and they'll once again have Crownover patrolling beyond the twine.

Lone Webb senior Sean Kim (left) is taken off his feet by St. George's Paul Whicker. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

Anderson recollected afterwards about when Crownover was leaning toward coming to the Bell Buckle school after being relegated to the junior varsity team at Coffee County.

"Zach put in his application and came to me and said, 'Well, Adrian, do you think we can do something if I come?' I said, 'Yeah, Zach, if you come, we'll win a state title.'"

Stay tuned.