Cascade ends Liberty's season

Cascade and Liberty were separated by only one goal at halftime. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Liberty Middle's girls matured by leaps and bounds on the soccer field in just 10 days. However, their efforts came up just short as they lost to second-seeded Cascade Middle 3-0 in the opening round of the Middle Tennessee Small Schools District tournament in Wartrace on Monday afternoon.

"Huge improvement," Lady Patriot coach Shannon Dearing said. "Two weeks ago we played the same team and lost 7-0 and this time only 3-0. So, the last two weeks our girls practiced hard, they worked hard and I think it shows."

This was only the second season of existence for the Liberty soccer program. Their final record is 0-6-2, but they only graduate four eighth graders and 10 sixth graders are set to return.

"Next year is going to be our year," Dearing said.

Lady Patriot Cassidy Carpenter (7) boots a ball just before Lady Champion Abby Jett arrives. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge]

Cascade (6-1-1) still has some unfinished business as they vie for the tourney trophy. The victory advances them to the semifinals where they will host third-seeded Community Junior High on Friday at 5.

"We're going to have to step our game up, definitely," Lady Champion coach Monica Lewis said. "We're going to have to be more defensive. We're going to have to keep the field spread out a little more."

A pair of seventh graders hooked up to account for the first goal when Katie Vincent took an assist from Courtnie Carter. That was all Cascade could muster versus the gritty Liberty defense and goalkeeper Mary Beth Sudberry.

"We just were not playing up to speed," Lewis said. "Our passes were not complete. We were being aggressive, we just weren't finishing our plays. We were making passes to people who weren't there."

Cassidy Carpenter (7) clears a ball from harm's way before Cascade's Katelynn Edde can get a foot on the ball. (T-G Photo by Danny Parker) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Eighth grader Katelynn Edde doubled the advantage in the 36th minute. Shelbye Stacy tacked on the final tally thanks in part to an assist via Cari Brown with 11:05 to go.

"We stepped it up in the second half, obviously," Lewis said. "We were marking the people and not the ball. That made a difference. We kept it spread out a little more, and our passes traveled the field a little more. I moved some people around and that seemed to make a difference too."

Kaley Clanton manned the nets for the Orange and Black to help ensure the shutout.