Articles

2004/03/09 Nashville City Paper

NFHS honors local coaches

Franklin High soccer coach Jimmy Burchett was selected as the 2003 NFHS Coaches Association National Coach of the Year for girls’ soccer in late February. “I’m very surprised about it,” said the coach, whose teams have won the girls state championship three of the last four years. “It’s almost like winning the lottery. It’s really one of those once in a lifetime kind of things.” The criteria for the award included coaching record (which for Burchett is 121-27-9), community service, involvement in other school activities, and basic philosophy of athletics. Franklin has won the state title in soccer 10 of the 18 years it’s been a TSSAA sanctioned sport and has played in the finals five of the last six years.

2004/10/06 The Review Appeal

Franklin breaks through tie streak for semifinal win over Centennial

by Doug Dyer

BRENTWOOD-- Sara Perrigan could hardly keep from shaking last night. Not from the cold, but because she had just extended her team's season with an emotional kick against an old rival.

The Franklin High senior scored on a penalty kick and knocked Centennial out of the postseason with a 2-1 overtime victory the Cougars in the District 11-AAA semifinals at Ravenwood.

The game was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation and continued through two overtimes and two sudden death periods before Franklin (9-4-5) won 4-2 on penalty kicks.

"I've never been put in that position before," Perrigan said. "I didn't want this game to be our last."

Franklin advances to tomorrow's 11-AAA District final against the Ravenwood/Brentwood semifinal winner and also claimed a spot in next week's Region 6-AAA tournament. Centennial ends it season 10-2-2.

"It's never easy to lose on a PK," Centennial coach Jenni Wingard said. "If we had scored in the first half, I think the game would have been different."

Franklin got a goal from Anna Perrigan in the 48th minute to put the Lady Rebels up 1-0. That came after Centennial had dominated play in the first 40 minutes, but did not score.

Catherine Turner tied the game in the 76th minute. but neither team was able to cash in on their opportunities for the next 30 minutes to force penalty kicks.

The Cougars made their first two kicks, then the next two were saved by Rebel keeper Taryn Holland. Franklin made four of its five attempts against Centennial goalie Jenna Wise to earn the victory.

2004/10/14 The Nashville City Paper

Rebels strike with Mace

by Michael Williams

Freshman Meghan Mace of Franklin pulled a hat trick, resulting in the Rebel's 3-0 shutout of Brentwood at Wednesday's game.

With Brentwood having won the district championship 1-0 over Franklin the week before, the Rebels broke out the Mace for their archrivals in the region title game played last night at Brentwood.

Freshman Meghan Mace hammered out a hat trick, and the Rebel defense stymied the Bruin attack to help the Rebs notch their sixth region title in a row with a 3-0 shutout.

"I wanted to beat Brentwood so bad after they beat us for the district," Mace said. "I think every year we step it up in the region game, and we just wanted to try to keep it going."

Mace wasn't even born when Franklin won its first five state titles in the '80s, but she was itchy to be part of the lore.

"I'm here to stay on the varsity," she said. "I've been dreaming of playing for Franklin since I was a kid."

Forward Kacie Horner found Mace in the 11th minute of the first half for a Rebel 1-0 lead. Mace then surgically punched home her second goal past the outstretched arms of Bruin keeper Jennifer Mlakar in the 34th minute of the half.

Going up 2-0, Franklin coach Jimmy Burchett, along with the rest of his team, let out a collective sigh. Franklin had not lost a game all season in which it had scored two or more goals.

The Bruins best chance at a goal came two minutes into the second half when senior Molly Turner fired a point-black shot, only to have it speared by Franklin keeper Taryn Holland.

"Our defenders, Lexie Heileman, Gabby Mayer, and Sarah DeFatta played incredible," Burchett said. "They've been solid all year."

"We played like Franklin played in the district championship," Brentwood coach Mike Purcell said. "We just didn't match their intensity."

With the win, Franklin and Brentwood pushed overall on the year notching a record of 1-1-1 against one another.

The Bruins and Rebs geared up for the game the day before with Brentwood posting a 15-0 win against mcGavock and Franklin registering a 10-0 win against Hunters Lane.

Franklin now goes on to face the loser of the Hendersonville/Beech match up Saturday at Franklin's Cheek Park, while Brentwood travels to Sumner County to face the Hendersonville/Beech winner in the sectionals. The Buccaneers and Commandos play tonight at Beech.

"I don't think we were looking ahead," Purcell said. "But we knew we had a game Saturday. Beating Franklin in the district finals was something we hadn't done since 1998, so we feel good about that."

Neither Franklin nor Brentwood have played Beech this season, but Franklin registered a 1-1 tie against Hendersilnville on Sept. 24, while Brentwood posted a 3-0 win against them on Aug. 24.

"I think we could see Franklin again in the stae finals," Purcell said.

Burchett maintained his team would not look too far ahead.

"I know it's cliche," he said. "But we've done this so often that we've disciplined ourselves to know that we'v e got to play one game at a time. We know that if we loose Saturday, that's it."

2004/10/17 The Tennessean

Every Team, Every Week

After loosing 0-1 to Brentwood in the Distcit 11-AAA final Oct. 7, the Lady Rebels (11-5-5) saw their offense explode in victories of 10-0 over Hunters Lane in the Region 6 semifinals Tuesday and 3-0 over the Brentwood Lady Bruins in the Region 6 Championship Final on Wednesday. Freshman Meghan Mace had a hat trick for the Lady Rebels Wednesday with Jordan LeFan and Anna Perrigan earning assists. Mace also score a pair of goals against Hunters Lane, Monica Dunham and Sarah Sharp also scoring twice and LeFan, Perrigan, Kacie Horner, Caitlin Parker, and Ashley Ladd also scoring. They played the Hendersonville/Beech loser in substate play yesterday.

2004/10/19 Nashville City Paper

Old Pros, First-Timers Eye State Soccer Titles

by Michael Williams

The only guarantee going into this week's girls state soccer tournament in Chattanooga is that Franklin High will not three-peat as AAA state champs. The two-time defending champion Lady Rebels (11-6-5) will stay home after being ousted by a Hendersonville overtime penalty kick in last weekend's sectionals. Hendersonville (13-7-2) starts their quest Wednesday for its first state crown along with the Nashville area's other soccer survivor, Brentwood (15-5-1), who beat Beech in the sectionals, 3-0. The Commandos, who fell in the finals to Franklin last year, start off against Tullahoma (15-3-1) while Brentwood, who will be after its second state crown, opens with Oak Ridge (18-6-1).

2004/10/20 The Review Appeal

Lady Commandos shed Franklin 2-1 in Sectional Overtime PK

by Donovan Stewart

FRANKLIN--For the last several years, the albatross that hung around Hendersonville's neck was the Franklin Lady Rebels soccer team.

The Lady Rebels, who are the reigning two-time defending Class AAA state champions, have been a huge obstacle for the Lady Commandos for quite a while.

Included in that was a FHS win over HHS in last year's Class AAA state title match.

But that was all erased Saturday night in the Class AAA State Sectional as the Lady Commandos defeated Franklin 2-1 to earn a second consecutive trip to the state.

Senior striker Devin Woodard converted a penalty kick in the first sudden death overtime in enemy territory to give Hendersonville the victory.

With the win, Hendersonville will head to Chattanooga to compete for the AAA state title starting Wednesday at Finley Stadium.

Hendersonville (13-7-2) got a measure of revenge on Franklin (11-6-5) who had beaten the Lady Commandos 3-1 in last year's state title game, along with numerous wins in the Sectional of HHS in recent years.

The penalty kick was awarded after sophomore Marcela Sanchez was tackled in the box. That set up Woodard's heroics, as she shot to the right side of the net.

Although Franklin's keeper Taryn Holland got a hand on it, it wasn't enough to keep it out, ending Franklin's season.

"You have to give these girls a lot of credit," Hendersonville coach Russ Plummer said. "We've had to go on the road the last three games and they could have mailed it in, but they didn't."

Franklin and Hendersonville have already played once this season, as they settled for a 1-1 tie on Sept. 21.

After a scoreless first half, both teams had several opportunities to score, but the play of Hendersonville goalie Christy Zabek and Holland kept the game knotted at 0-0.

Hendersonville caught the first big break of the game as Woodard was tripped in the box at the 72-minute mark of the game and the Lady Commandos were rewarded with a penalty kick.

Sophomore Taren Brown beat Holland to put Hendersonville up 1-0 with only seven minutes to left in regulation.

But Franklin showed why it has won the state title a record of 12 times as the Lady Rebels rallied just 30 seconds later.

Franklin junior striker Monica Dunham took a cross pass from Sara Perrigan and beat Zabek, lobbing a shot over her head just inside the right post.

"They showed why they are state champions," Plummer said.

"But the kids didn't flinch and they didn't get down. I think it made them play harder."

2004/10/20 The Tennessean

State Soccer Tournament Doesn't Include Franklin

by Jeff Lockridge

What is a girl's state soccer tournament without Franklin High?

Few can remember, but we're about to be reminded.

Hendersonville sent the Lady Rebels home over the weekend with a 2-1 final-overtime PK win in Class AAA State Sectionals.

"I really respect Franklin for their accomplishments," Hendersonville Coach Russ Plummer said. "I have a lot of respect for Coach (Jimmy) Burchett. You can't say enough about the success they have had. It's just unbelievable."

Franklin (11-6-5) was in the state final from 1999-2003, and won championships three out of the last four years, including the last two. The Lady Rebels have won 12 titles since 1984.

Last season, Hendersonville (13-7-2) made its first state tournament appearance since 1995.

2004-2005 Rebel Yearbook

Every year the girl's soccer team works hard to win State. Sadly they did not reach it, but they had no reason to be ashamed. They had an excellent season. During the District semi-final with arch-rival Centennial, the team was put in a "win or go home" position. "Every player stepped up and played incredibly", stated Coach Burchett. The game went to penalty kicks after two overtime periods. The team won the game with the help of Taryn Holland's two great saves and Sara Perrigan nailing the deciding goal. Franklin girls soccer has a legacy of greatness, not just because of a few key players each season. Every year the team knows what it takes to win and never gives up.