December 30, 2013 - Memphis Commercial Appeal
TSWA Girls All-State Team, Class AAA
Forwards
Keegan Francis, Knox West; Gabby Little, Houston; Peyton McCollum, Oak Ridge; Karli Paschall, Ravenwood; Kelsey Pearce, Houston; Ashley Seltzer, Bearden; Amber Tanner, Ravenwood; Miranda Smith, Soddy-Daisy; Megan Woods, Blackman.
Midfielders
Abi Argueta, Northeast; Katie Beuerlein, Farragut; Paola Ellis, Houston; Liza Harbin, Franklin; Robyn Pennella, Houston; Gabby Powers, Hardin Valley; Emilie Sloan, Hendersonville.
Defenders
Lizzie Fry, Maryville; Caroline Heavey, Houston; Josie Jennings, Farragut; Kaci Mitchell, Oak Ridge; Karsyn Sewell, Collierville; K.C. Ward, Farragut; Meredith White, Siegel.
Goalkeepers
Jordan Beets, Hardin Valley; Emma Grace Goldman, Oakland; Jessica Harvey, Franklin; Audrey Sanderson, Ravenwood
November 27, 2013 - The Kingsport Times, All-State Girls Team
TNSSCA - Girls All-State Soccer Team, Class AAA
Forwards
Kelsey Pearce, Sr., Houston; Gabby Little, So., Houston; Anna Leslie, Sr., Germantown; Sierra Franz, Jr., Smyrna; Megan Woods, Sr., Blackman; Meredith Slessman, So., Franklin; Josie Deere, Sr., Franklin; Peyton McCollum, Sr., Oak Ridge; Ashley Seltzer, Jr., Bearden; Katie Cloud, Sr., Farragut; K.C. Ward, Sr., Farragut; Bailey Wiliams, Jr., Powell; Keegan Francis, Sr., West; Abit Argueta, Sr., Clarksville NE; Ella Baggett, Jr., Clarksville; Amber Colvin, Sr., Clarksville; Lauren Winters, Sr., Beech; Emily Parrott, Jr., Hendersonville; Emilie Sloan, Sr., Hendersonville; Morgan McCormick, Sr., Warren County
Midfielders
Robyn Pennella, Jr., Houston; Bobby Willis, So., Arlington; Isabella Oviedo, Sr., Siegel; Colleen Kennedy, Sr., Blackman; Brianna Sears, Sr., Oakland; Maggie Burkett, Jr., Dobyns-Bennett; Liza Harbin, Sr., Franklin; Katie Beuerlein, Sr., Farragut; Gabby Powers, Jr., Hardin Valley; Salera Jordan, So., Clarksville; Paola Elis, Fr., Houston; Ansley Mullican, Sr., Warren County; Holly Hall, Sr., Ooltewah; Samantha DeBien, So., Cleveland
Defenders
Caroline Heavey, Jr., Houston; Karsyn Sewell, Jr., Collierville; Meredith White, Sr., Siegel; Erin McGarel, Sr., Morristown West; Jiliana White, Sr., Franklin; Josie Jennings, Sr., Farragut; Justis Bailey, Jr., Clarksville
Goalkeepers
Emma Goldman, So., Oakland; Maggie Elpers, So., Dobyns-Bennett; Jordan Beets, Sr., Hardin Valley
November 1, 2013 - The Franklin Home Page, Franklin Falls In State Semi-Finals
by Carol Stuart
Franklin’s quest for a 12th TSSAA girls state soccer championship came to an end, 3-0 in a Class AAA state semifinal loss Friday to unbeaten Houston, the third-ranked team in the nation.
Franklin (17-3-5) dominated control most of the first half in the Class AAA game at Murfreesboro’s Richard Siegel Park, but had nothing to show for it.
"They’re undefeated, so they’ve got a really good team. They have one tie, that’s the only blemish on their record. That’s a great team," veteran Lady Rebels head coach Jimmy Burchett said. "Had we gone up, who’s knows? I think it would have energized us even more and given us more encouragement.
"I don’t say we were disappointed at the half that we weren’t up. We were encouraged that we played 0-0. I think we would have been very encouraged had we been one or two up at the half. It could have happened. We played well enough for us to be 2-0 at the half."
Houston (22-0-1) scored two goals 1½ minutes apart early in the second half for an almost insurmountable lead after the two powers played to the scoreless opening half.
"Normally we come out super strong the second half," said FHS senior Josie Deere, a Utah State commit. "We even said that we dominated the entire first half and the fact that we didn’t get a goal was frustrating. "But we really thought that we were going to come out and get a goal the second half early on. Our momentum went down a ton once they scored those first two goals."
Franklin second-half free kick outside box
Lady Rebels scoring chance in second half
Both shots came off the left wing, in the 43rd and 44th minutes. Robyn Panella got the first goal at 37:37 to go in the game and Kelsey Pearce made it 2-0 with 36:07 to play.
Franklin sophomore keeper Jess Harvey had to make a save on a shot by Lauren Jones 2½ minutes later as well.
The Lady Rebels got a free kick by junior Hannah Hewitt just outside the box at 21:37 remaining. Franklin got two chances on the play but wasn’t able to capitalize on the opportunity.
"She barely missed it and I think that’s killing her because she’s upset about it," Deere said. "But that was super-close, and we should have gotten the ton of opportunities that we missed."
FHS had two more good chances to score, including a cross by East Tennessee State commit Jil White, but Houston made it 3-0 on a rebound by freshman Paola Ellis.
The Lady Rebels had their own chance to take a 1-0 lead just after intermission when sophomore Meredith Slessman dribbled down for a shot 1:45 into the second half.
"After we were down 2-0, the girls didn’t quit," Burchett said. "I thought if we got one goal, we’d get two. We just could never get that break, that roll, something go off of somebody, one step behind or half a step behind, a cross or something.
"We just never could get our foot on the ball at the right time to get one in there."
Senior center back Madison Simpson made several big plays to stop the Lady Mustangs in the first half. She blocked one shot about 35 minutes, allowed Harvey to grab the save. Harvey also had saves back-to-back in the 37th minute.
Slessman had a cross at the goal just 20 seconds before the half, but the Rebels couldn’t convert it into a goal.
Franklin’s best chance to score in the first half came on Deere’s run at a long ball when the goalie came out, midway through the opening half. Deere then had a header attempt, and the Rebels had a handball on another attack.
Delaney Griffin headed it just over the goal in the 24th minute on a Slessman cross.
Franklin, also ranked nationally, holds the state record for the most girls soccer championships in TSSAA history in the sport with 11 including the last one in 2011. The Rebels’ boys team took their first state crown in the spring.
"We had a great season," Deere said. "We really learned how to play as a team. We didn’t get the outcome that we wanted. We all had a ton of heart, and really we just grew as a team. At the end of the season we’re a big family and we all love each other."
The Rebels had only regular-season loss each of the last two seasons, returning to state this year after falling in the sectional to Clarksville last year. Franklin only lost to Hendersonville toward the end of the season and Ravenwood in the region final in OT (the District 11-AAA rivals tied in the regular season, and Franklin won the district final).
"Our goal is to get to the state finals, and then the ultimate goal is to win it. We were one game away from that," Burchett said. "We cannot say this was a failing season; it was a successful season. This group of seniors now the last two years we’ve kind of been disappointed in our results. It’s all come toward the end of the year.
" Game to game, week to week, this group gets up and plays. We get to this point, got to have a break every once in a while to push you over into the next game."
The Rebels will lose eight seniors from this year’s team including Ole Miss commit Liza Harbin, who scored Wednesday’s only goal in the quarterfinal victory.
October 31, 2013 - The Franklin Home Page, Franklin Advances Into State Soccer Semis
by Carol Stuart
Franklin’s girls soccer team, right back where it’s used to being, won the closest Class AAA quarterfinal of the day 1-0 over Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett to reach the semifinal round.
The Lady Rebels (17-2-5), who won their state-record 11th TSSAA championship in 2011, barely missed state last fall after playing in the previous three AAA finals.
Liza Harbin scores winning goal for Franklin.
It took Franklin almost 63½ minutes to get on the scoreboard when senior midfielder Liza Harbin scored off a pass from sophomore forward Meredith Slessman.
“I was so frustrated the first half…I didn’t know how we were not scoring or anything, and the same with the second half,” Harbin said. “It was just one of those games. Every shot was either going over or tipping off the bar…we could not get one in. It felt great.”
The Lady Rebels advanced against unbeaten Houston in Friday’s 2:30 p.m. semifinal at Richard Siegel Soccer Park in Murfreesboro. Due to weather concerns, the TSSAA decided to move the AAA and A/AA semifinals from Thursday to Friday, when the Division II-AA and II-A games are scheduled.
“You’re never confident with a 1-0 lead in a game like this,” long-time FHS coach Jimmy Burchett said. “They took corners, the ball could bounce off somebody, you could get a handball in the box and tie it up. Once they get momentum back and tie the game, then it’s a really a dogfight. So you’re never confident with a 1-0 lead.
“And we were trying hard to get that second goal with about 5 minutes to go, and then we kind of pulled people back then. But up until that, we were trying to go for that second goal for sure.”
Franklin had just missed a scoring opportunity right before Harbin found the net against Dobyns-Bennett (16-3-3). She even had to reset to score the game’s lone goal.
“I’m honestly surprised I made it,” the senior said. “Meredith did really good. We had a lot of slots tonight, and I just got there at the right time and I slotted it. Well, it rebounded off a defender and then I finally slotted it.”
Sophomore Jess Harvey, Franklin’s tall and lanky keeper, made a save on a free kick with just over 2 minutes left to preserve the victory.
“That scared me. I was thinking they will get that one lucky shot that hits off the bar and goes in,” Harbin said. “But Jess is a great goalkeeper, and she usually saves everything.”
Harvey also made a save on another free kick just 4:30 before halftime, and D-B’s keeper saved a FHS free kick right outside the 2-minute mark.
In the second half, Franklin came out aggressive and had a chance to score on a cross and shot in the 44th minute.FHS had corner opportunities within the next three minutes.
Slessman and Harbin both missed chances, while Josie Deere had a shot sail over the top of the goal with 27 minutes remaining in the contest. The Lady Indians had another save two minutes later.
Burchett had given the team an earful as they walked off the field after a tight first half.
“I asked them if they wanted to go out to eat after the game,” the Rebels coach joked. “… We had a pretty good heart-to-heart at the half. That’s about all I can say.”
Added Harbin: “We’ll just say that he set us straight. He put it in our minds that we’re here for a reason and that we need to come out strong. ’You’ve only got three games left, it’ll be the last time you’ll play with each other. You’ve just got to do what we’re here to do. We’ve made it this far.’ He was telling us, ‘ We’re going to give up now? That’s not the attitude to come with.’ He kind of yelled at us and kind of pumped us up so that was really good.”
The Rebels didn’t let up after the score, with Madison Smith hitting a long kick off.
Dobyns-Bennett’s defense stiffened and the offense then went on the attack to try to get the equalizer. A free kick at 2:40 went wide right on the goal before Harvey’s save 39 seconds later.
Franklin is trying to win back-to-back boys and girls state soccer titles, just like district and county rival Brentwood did in 2012.
The Rebels’ semifinal foe, Houston, shut out hometown team Murfreesboro Oakland 5-0 in another quarterfinal. Harbin recalls playing the team from Germantown her freshman and sophomore seasons at state.
“We love playing them,” she said. “They give us good competition and good fight. I think tomorrow’s game will be even, and whoever comes out with the most will and attitude and who wants it will win.”
Ravenwood, which split with Franklin the district and region tourney finals, beat Collierville 5-1 in the other side of the bracket to advance against Farragut.
“I think it’s going to be two really good games over here. Ravenwood and Farragut’s going to go at it and I think Houston and Franklin will go at it,” Burchett said.
October 27, 2013 - The Leaf Chronicle, Franklin Exacts Revenge, Send Clarksville High School Home
by George Robinson
CLARKSVILLE, TENN. - Jeff Jordan wasn’t at all disappointed in his team’s play because he understands the often fickle nature of a sport that can often rely on inches.
A goal at the start of the game and a goal at the end of its was all Franklin would need to erase the memory of last year’s loss at Clarksville High. The Lady Rebels captured a physical, hard-fought 2-1 victory against the Lady Wildcats in the Class AAA sectional soccer game, ending CHS’ season.
"I’m not disappointed in this game, it was just unlucky," Clarksville coach Jeff Jordan said. "Sometimes that’s the way soccer happens. It’s a bad bounce or an unlucky goal. Franklin got a goal on each end of the game and the rest of it ..."
Meredith Slessman’s goal off a corner kick came as a result of a deflected header that Clarksville goalie Melia Correa nearly saved. Instead Slessman ended up with an open-net goal for a 1-0 lead less than a minute into the game.
The final goal came in the last five minutes of the game when Liza Harbin flipped the ball high in the air in what looked like an attempt to clear it from a group of Clarksville High defenders. The ball sailed back as Correa tried to get under it, but it landed just over Correa’s head and into the net.
"I don’t know if that was a designed shot on the goal," Franklin coach Jimmy Burchett said. "You’d have to ask Liza but I have to say that we’re all thankful it went in. We’ll take it."
The victory avenges last year’s sectional loss to Clarksville High in a similar 2-1 final. That game pushed the Lady Wildcats into the program’s first state tournament before Jordan’s team lost to Siegel in the state quarterfinals in Chattanooga.
Now Franklin returns to state.
"I’m not going to sit here and say that our girls haven’t been thinking about playing this game, against this (CHS) team, for the past 12 months," Burchett said. "We really wanted this game and our girls were really focused for it."
It helped that the Lady Rebels (16-2-5) got that early goal.
October 17, 2013 - The Williamson Herald, Franklin Edges Ravenwood in Soccer Marathon
by Doug Dyer
Delaney Griffin scored in the 101st minute for Franklin Thursday night, giving the Lady Rebels a 1-0 victory over Ravenwood in the finals of the District 11-AAA soccer tournament at Cheek Park.
Nationally ranked Franklin (14-1-5) advances to the Region 6-AAA tournament next week and will host the runner-up from District 12-AAA. Ravenwood (9-1-3) will travel to face the 12-AAA champion.
Griffin's game-winner came in the first minute of the 5-minute golden goal overtime period, after regulation and 20 minutes of overtime could not decide a district champ. She took a pass off a throw-in and sent it 35 yards toward the goal, and Ravenwood keeper Audrey Sanderson tried to punch it out, only to see it deflect off the crossbar and into the net.
October 17, 2013 - The Williamson Herald, Franklin, Ravenwood lead all District 11-AAA Soccer Team
by Joe WIlliams
The top two teams in District 11-AAA have dominated the coaches' picks for all district awards based on season play.
As expected, the top five awards were split among the teams playing in tonight's district championship event, scheduled for 7 p.m. at Franklin's field near Cheek Park.
Franklin's Liza Harbin was named Player of the Year for the district, while Ravenwood's Karlie Paschall was named the Most Valuable Offensive Player and Jiliana White of Franklin took the Most Valuable Defensive Player award. Audrey Sanderson (Ravenwood) and Jessica Harvey (Franklin) tied as the Goalkeeper of the Year.
Independence High School's David Cordeo de Jesus was named the District 11-AAA Coach of the Year.
The All-District Team includes:
Brentwood-Jessi Boozer, Mary Stewart Schwarz, Jordan Chawan, Taylor Puskar.
Centennial- Brooke Steed, Rachel Dillard, Olivia Bohlman, Lidya Ogorognik.
Dickson County- Katie Muraca, Payton Grove, Katie Kruse.
Franklin- Liza Harbin, Jillian White, Jessica Harvey, Rachael Frey, Madison Simpson, Becca Holleran, Meredith Slessman
Independence- Morgan Jackson, Sarah harter, Elizabeth Sanders, Ashley Weathers, Morgan Montrose.
Ravenwood- MacKenzie Frek, Alex Holmes, Lindsey Todd, Dayna Hood, Andi Williams.
Summit- Emily Szymanski, Hayley Jones, Teondra Crawford.
September 17, 2013 - The Brentwood Home Page, Franklin's undefeated girls soccer team rose to No. 8 in the nation
by Carol Stuart
Franklin's undefeated girls soccer team rose to No. 8 in the nation after big outings against two national powerhouses, then turned around and shut out defending state champ and district rival Brentwood 1-0 on Tuesday.
Junior Delaney Griffin provided the only score at Burchett-Shrader Field as the Lady Rebels got bottled up a bit by a packed-in defense. Griffin took a feed from sophomore Meredith Slessman through an opening in the middle of the BHS defense, scooting past the oncoming goalie in the 17th minute.
"We were working it down the field well," Griffin said. "... She passed it to me wide, and I beat the keeper and scored. It was a great finish and pass."
The Lady Rebels (9-0-2, 3-0-0 District 11-AAA) had defeated Bishop O'Connell, Va., 4-2 on Thursday and tied Our Lady of Good Counsel, Md., 2-2 on Saturday.
"We definitely played our hearts out this week to beat those teams, [and it] got us ranked eighth in the nation now," Griffin said. "It did mean a lot to us to play those, but district games also mean a lot to us too."
Brentwood (3-3-1, 1-1-0) lost Good Counsel 4-1 on Friday and to St. John's College High School, Md., 4-2 on Saturday. Two key players were injured Saturday, with senior Dana Murray suffering a possible torn ACL and sophomore Ailsa Grant needing eight stitches in her chin.
"She cut her chin open and she's incredibly sore -- can't even eat food right now," Lady Bruins Coach Cal Long said. "... We lost our two center-mids, so we had to kind of change things up two days before the big game."
Franklin's Jil White took a free kick less than five minutes in, but BHS senior keeper Taylor Puskar made the save. Brentwood's Allie Ann Blackburn, called up from JV a week ago, aggressively blocked a goal kick, and then almost 10 minutes in Brentwood had an attack with a near-scoring chance.
Slessman took a shot inside the 12th minute, and Brentwood's Jessi Boozer stepped up when Slessman almost had a breakaway in the 16th minute. Less than a minute later, Slessman passed the ball to Griffin, who maneuvered past Puskar as the keeper had to come out of the goal to defend.
"The two of them work real well together up top," FHS Coach Jimmy Burchett said. "They've both got good foot skills and good vision. Something we've worked on a lot, if they're working like that, finally kind of came together and we got a goal out of it."
Long said he thought his defenders had stepped up and the goal could have been offside, but it was a close call.
"We knew it was going to be tight. It always is," the Bruins coach said of the game. "... We thought it was really a back and forth game ... I'm proud of the girls for sticking to the game plan and fighting really hard. It was a good night for us."
Franklin kept trying to add an insurance goal. Puskar had a save in the 23rd minute, and Jordan Chawan defended against Liza Harbin and Josie Deere on an offensive push seven minutes before halftime.
Brentwood had a header saved by Harvey with two-minutes plus before intermission.
White and Deere took shots midway through the second half, but Franklin couldn't get its offense untracked.
"I personally thought that we played decent but I think we could play better and I think we have played better," Griffin said. "But it's always a good competition. They always bring their A-game to play us, it's a great rivalry, it's always close."
Franklin's defensive back line, led by center back Madison Simpson, kept Brentwood's offensive attack in check when it did attack. Simpson, White, Becca Holloran and Janie Batt all return from last year, and a couple of freshmen have added depth, Burchett said.
Tall sophomore keeper Jess Harvey, who Burchett said can field most 30- to 40-yard shots, got the shutout. Harvey plays on the Tennessee Soccer Club 2016 team with Slessman that has made nationals the past two seasons, including the 2012 U.S. finalist as the former Tennessee Futbol Club.
"We've given up goals during the season but they've really been kind of strange situations," Burchett said.
Boozer and Mary Stuart Schwarz, who had to move back from her normal forward spot, did a good job in the middle, Long said. In addition to Blackburn starting up top, Summer Olmstead earned her first start and played all 80 minutes as sort of a defensive center-mid.
"I'm proud of them for stepping up in a good game," Long said.
Franklin, an 11-time TSSAA state champ including in 2011, sits in the driver's seat in the district with leagues games remaining at Dickson County (Thursday), vs. Independence (Oct. 1) and at Ravenwood (Oct. 3).
"This is the first time that we've really experienced a team defending us this way, and as soon as we kind of walked through some things, I think we've kind of figured this out," Burchett said. "I'm not too concerned. We win, and that's the bottom line. We get a district win against a big rival opponent so that was good for us."
September 15, 2013 - The Franklin Home Page, FHS Ties National No. 7
Franklin 2, Good Counsel 2 (MD.), tie: Franklin High School’s undefeated girls soccer team followed up its victory over one out-of-state powerhouse with a 2-2 tie against the No. 7 team in the nation.
The Lady Rebels played to a draw with Our Lady of Good Counsel on Saturday, two days after beating Bishop O’Connell (Va.).
Franklin scored quickly Saturday to go up 1-0 on Meredith Slessman’s strong finish after a nice feed from Liza Harbin. Good Counsel tied it up seven minutes before the half for a 1-1 tie at intermission. Slessman scored her second goal early in the second half for a 2-1 FHS lead. The visitors, however, tied it up.
September 11, 2013 - The Williamson Herald, Franklin & Brentwood, Hosting Soccer Elite
by Joe Williams
Local girls’ soccer powerhouses Franklin and Brentwood, along with Rutherford County’s Siegel high schools will be hosting three of the nation’s top programs in a special event format beginning tonight at Franklin.
Our Lady of Good Counsel from Olney, Maryland, Arlington, Virginia’s Bishop O’Connell and St. John’s College High School from Chevy Chase, Maryland will be in Franklin this weekend, bringing national championship-level competition to the mid-state, according to legendary Franklin Head Coach Jimmy Burchett.
"These teams are nationally ranked every year and will give our fans an excellent look at girl's high school soccer at the highest level."
Bishop O’Connell is typical of the three visiting teams and an early favorite in every game they play. The Knights are considered an early contender for the national high school title, according to Maxpreps.com, bringing to Williamson County a program record of 438-72-48. Bishop O’Connell has made 20 appearances in the ultra-competitive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game in the past 28 years, with 10 championship trophies already in the case.
Their biggest challenge in the WCAC has been Our Lady of Good Counsel, whose record is very similar to Bishop O’Connell.
The Washington, D.C.-area teams are not expecting a cakewalk on their trip south. Franklin (4), Brentwood (3) and Siegel (1) have captured eight of the past 15 state championships in Tennessee and the Lady Rebels and Lady Bruins have made a combined 12 appearances in the title game in same period.
"We’ll compete well. The Williamson County area is still the hotbed for soccer in the state. Germantown Houston and Oak Ridge are very good, but this is still the heart of Tennessee soccer country," said Burchett, whose team has already knocked off Knoxville Farragut on the road when the Lady Admirals were ranked number one in the state.
The four-day event begins tonight with Bishop O’Connell playing at Franklin at 7 p.m.
On Friday, Our Lady of Good Counsel plays at 4 p.m. at Brentwood in the midst of the Bruin’s Homecoming celebration and Bishop O’Connell with play Sigel at Franklin at 5 p.m. prior to the Franklin-McGavock football game at 7 p.m.
Action returns to Franklin High on Saturday at 2 p.m. with Our Lady of Good Counsel facing the Lady Rebels and St. John’s College High School will be at Brentwood at 4 p.m.
The final game of the special event is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. as St. John’s College High School plays at Siegel in Murfreesboro.
September 10, 2013 - The Tennessean, National Soccer Powers To Invade Middle TN
by Maurice Patton
Defending Class AAA champion Brentwood, state runner-up Siegel and perennial title contender Franklin are set to each play a pair of games against nationally renowned teams traveling from the D.C. area this weekend.
Bishop O’Connell, from Arlington, Va., will play Franklin and Siegel. Our Lady of Good Counsel, from Olney, Md., will play Brentwood and Franklin. St. John’s College High School, from Chevy Chase, D.C., will play Brentwood and Siegel.
"We and Franklin and Siegel have been pretty successful as a whole the last few years," Brentwood coach Cal Long said. "It’s exciting to play against someone that’s been successful the way they have."
Good Counsel is ranked seventh in the most recent National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s Top 25, with O’Connell 2--st and Franklin tied for 25th.
Franklin coach Jimmy Burchett was the primary contact in arranging the matchups, which stem from a series of games dating back nearly 20 years.
"Back in the ’90s, (the late) Barry Redmond was into all the national rankings and he had contacts with teams up in the D.C. area," Burchett said. "He’d put on the Tennessee Classic and he’d have teams from Knoxville and Memphis come in and play four or five days against some teams from up in the Northeast, to get a comparison for rankings.
"After he died, some of it died down, but some of those guys are still involved with their teams -- and they like country music. So every three or four years, I’ll get an e-mail from them saying they want to come down."
The schedule is as follows:
Thursday -- Bishop O’Connell at Franklin, 7 p.m.
Friday -- Our Lady of Good Counsel at Brentwood, 4 p.m.; Bishop O’Connell vs. Siegel at Franklin, 5 p.m.
Saturday -- Our Lady of Good Counsel at Franklin, 2 p.m.; St. John’s College High School at Brentwood, 4 p.m.
Sunday -- St. John’s College High School at Siegel, -- p.m.
Good Counsel, O’Connell and Franklin are second, fourth and fifth in the current NSCAA Region IV poll, which also includes Hendersonville (No. 9) and Father Ryan (No. ----). Region IV encompasses the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.
September 5, 2013 - Franklin Home Page - Roundup, Franklin Blanks Centennial
by Andrew Collignon
Franklin 4, Centennnial 0: Sophomore forward Meredith Slessman scored two goals to lead the undefeated Lady Rebels to a District 11-AAA victory at crosstown rival Centennial.
Slessman scored two goals for Franklin. Josie Deere and Liza Harbin added goals. Jessie Harvey was the shutout goalie, including punching a shot over the crossbar in the second half.
Slessman scored just one minute into the match to get Franklin off to a quick start. Deere made it 2-0 in the first half on a rebound shot.
A blazing fast Harbin made it 3-0 in the second half on a nice breakaway on a beautiful through ball.
The Lady Rebels extended the lead on a perfectly played ball by Kat Hassell to a flying Slessman, who finished for a 4-0 final score.
September 3, 2013 - Franklin Home Page - Roundup, FHS Soccer On Roll
by Jennifer Roberts
Franklin's unbeaten girls soccer team went 3-0 in the Hendersonville Classic during the Labor Day to improve to 6-0-1 going into Thursday's 7 p.m. district match at Centennial.
The Rebels got goals from Hannah Frutiger and Liza Harbin in a 2-1 victory over Collierville on Saturday. Jil White notched an assist.
FHS defeated last year's state runner-up Siegel 3-1 on Sunday behind goals from White, Delaney Griffin and Rachael Frey. Griffin, Josie Deere and Harbin all had assists.
Meredith Slessman and Frey scored two goals each in Monday's 8-1 shellacking of Science Hill from Johnson City. Griffin, Hannah Hewett, Courtney Perkins and Katherine Hassell also scored goals. Deere added two assists, while Harbin and Perkins had one assist apiece.
Frey now leads the team with five goals, while Harbin and Griffin have four each. Deere has six assists for the season to go with three goals.
August 28, 2013 - Williamson Herald - Franklin Soccer Remains Unbeaten
by Joe Williams, Sportswriter
Hannah Frutiger clears the ball from a dangerous spot as Summit's Madison Mainoid moves in Tuesday night. The Lady Rebels improved their record o 3-0-1 with a 6-0 win over the Lady Spartans.
Liza Harbin scored twice in the first half and Ally Coady and Kat Hassell added a pair each in the second thanks to assists from Josie Deere, Meredith Slessman and Courtney Perkins, as Franklin’s girls’ soccer team ran its record to 3-0-1 on the season with a 6-0 win over new District 11-AAA member Summit.
Goalkeeper Jess Harvey pitched her first shut-out of the season with help from the Lady Rebel defense.
Franklin is scheduled to face Siegel, Collierville and Science Hill in the Hendersonville Classic this weekend in Sumner County.
August 28, 2013 - Franklin Home Page - Unbeaten Franklin Tops No. 1
Franklin High School's girls soccer team is off to another undefeated start at 3-0-1 and has notched a huge 3-1 victory at preseason No. 1 Knoxville Farragut.
The Lady Rebels opened district play on Tuesday with a 6-0 victory over 11-AAA newcomer Summit, which just moved up to AAA from Class A/AA in soccer.
Franklin plays a tough schedule this weekend at the Hendersonville Classic, facing Collierville at 6 p.m. Saturday; state runner-up Siegel at 3 p.m. Sunday; and Science Hill at 10 a.m. on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2.
The Rebels then visit crosstown rival Centennial at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, for its next district game.
Franklin rallied from a 1-0 deficit Sunday on the road against Farragut, scoring three goals in the final 15 minutes. Josie Deere tied it at the 65th minute with an assist by Hannah Frutiger, then Jil White set up Ally Coady seven minutes later for the go-ahead goal.
Delaney Griffin, assisted by Deere, added an insurance goal in the 75th minute. Rebels keeper Jessica Harvey made six saves.
Franklin played to a 1-1 draw with Oak Ridge on Saturday on the overnight road trip to East Tennessee. Liza Harbin scored the first goal for a 1-0 FHS lead 21 minutes before halftime, but the hosts knotted it three minutes later.
The Rebels outshot the opponents 28-14 with a 14-5 margin for shots on goal. Harvey made four saves, while Jasmine Rizk stopped 13 shots for Oak Ridge including all nine in the second half.
In Tuesday's win over Summit, Harbin scored the first two goals unassisted while Coady made it 3-0 on an assist from Courtney Perkins. Katherine Hassell also scored before the half, while Meredith Slessman had a goal (Deere assist) and set up Griffin's score in the second half.
Harvey made one save as the shutout goalie, while Haley Jones stopped 10 shots for the Lady Spartans.
Franklin beat Murfreesboro Oakland in the opener Aug. 19 behind two goals apiece from Rachel Frey and Deere. Griffin, Deere and White made assists, while Harvey had two saves.
August 25, 2013 - Franklin Home Page - Moody's Tire Athlete of the Week - Liza Harbin
Liza Harbin is a dynamic force on the soccer field. A senior on the FHS soccer team, she covers the entire field on offense and defense as the center midfielder.
Liza began playing soccer at the young age of 4, and has dominated the field ever since, playing both travel soccer for the Tennessee Soccer Club and her high school.
The powerhouse Franklin girls soccer team had another great season last year, going undefeated much of the regular season after winning the 2011 state title. Liza led her team in scoring with 16 goals and three assists. Her stellar performance resulted in her being named All District, All Region, and All State in 2012.
“Liza is always positive, always gives 110% in practice and in games," Coach Jimmy Burchett said. "She is a leader on and off the field.”
The FHS girls have continued to excel this year, winning their season-opener against Oakland with a score of 4-1 last week.
Liza has committed to continue her soccer career next year at Ole Miss. Although she is undecided about her major, she is interested in studying either law or business with a focus in finance.
She is the daughter of Tracey and Bethany Harbin.
August 19, 2013 - Franklin Home Page - Soccer Outlook '13: Teams boast plenty of story lines
by Andrew Skwara
The Rebels, a dominant program in the state, had a collapse uncharacteristic of a Franklin team after starting the season undefeated through 16 games last year.
FHS still finished 17-3-2 but hopes to vault back to the top of the district and state after county rival Brentwood won the AAA championship last fall. Coach Jimmy Burchett (275-66-26) has won four state crowns, including the 24-0 run to the No. 1 national ranking two years ago, and finished runner-up fourth times in his 16 previous seasons.
Ole Miss commit Liza Harbin, the Rebels' leading scorer with 16 goals, is back along with sophomore Mereith Slessman (15 goals), who has made the nationals in travel soccer the past two years.
Senior Josie Deere was No. 2 in assists last fall, and all four starting defenders return -- headed by ETSU commit Jil White.
Sophomore goalkeeper Jess Harvey, who plays on the same club team as Slessman, had a .47 ratio of goals per game for 19 games last year.
Franklin did graduate Lyndie Donegan, who finished tied for the number of assists for a career; center-midfielder Morgan Adams (UAB); and keeper Emily Burchfield.
Junior Delaney Griffin also is healthy after suffering injuries the past two seasons.
"Ravenwood and Brentwood seem to be the top teams going into the season," Burchett said. "With the number of returning players we have, I think we should be in the mix as well."
August 18, 2013 - The Tennessean - Midstate Preview: Girls Soccer
by Maurice Patton
Players To Watch:
Liza Harbin, Franklin, Sr.: Ole Miss commitment scored 16 goals and added three assists from the midfield.