The Houston Mustangs Complete Unbeaten Season

Houston High School flirted with the pollsters and was ranked #1 in the nation midway through the fall girls soccer season in Tennessee.

After winning the Tennessee State Secondary Athletics Association AAA championship, the Mustangs are still ranked #3

Knoxville Catholic and Harpeth Hall, and St. George’s, the team that tied Houston 1-1 when the Mustangs were #1, also captured a state championship to close out an outstanding season.

TSSAA AAA Champions

It’s difficult to go through any competitive season without a single loss, especially when there is a national ranking on the line.

The #3 ranked Houston Mustangs did just that as they finished the TSSAA fall girls season 23-0-1 with a 3-1 victory over Ravenwood at Murfreesboro’ Siegel Soccer Park.

[show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’] The Mustangs were ranked #1 in the NSCAA Girls Fall national high school poll midway through the season, when they settled for a 1-1 draw against St. George’s on Sept. 25, their only blemish on the final record.

It was Houston’s fourth state title and first since 2010. Gabby Little and Robyn Pennella scored for the Mustangs. Little, who scored the third goal, may have also scored the first that was the result of a scramble in front of the Ravenwood goal.

Trailing 1-0 in the opening eight minutes, Ravenwood (14-2-4) equalized before halftime on a goal by Caroline Fallon. But that would be all they would score against a Houston defense that never allowed more than one goal in any game this season.

“I think we just wore them down like we did Franklin in the semifinals,” said Houston head coach David Wolff. The Mustangs were playing back-to-back game as the semifinal, a 3-0 win over Franklin, was moved from Thursday to Friday, a day before the title match.

Ravenwood’s goal snapped a seven-game streak of shutouts for Houston that allowed only seven goals all season long.

TSSAA A/AA Champions

Knoxville Catholic (21-3-4) captured the school’s first-ever girls soccer state championship as the Lady Irish defeated neighboring rival Christian Academy of Knoxville, 3-1 in the Class A/AA title game at Murfreesboro’s Richard Siegel Park.

Catholic played a player down for over 78 minutes of the 80-minute match after goalkeeper Colleen Baker was ejected in the second-minute of play for a challenge on a CAK forward.

Molly Dwyer, who is headed to Furman next fall, scored all three Catholic goals. One came in the first half and two in the second.

CAK (16-8-2) tied the game with a goal from Addy Cronan just before halftime.

CAK has been in six consecutive A.AA championship matches and the Lady Warriors are 3-3 in those games.

TSSAA DII AA Champions

Harpeth Hall was also a first time girls state championship winner as the Honeybears edged Father Ryan 2-1 in the title game.

“Everything goes to these seniors,” said Harpeth Hall head coach Meggie Lucas after the game.

It was the first loss for Father Ryan (17-1-3), which handed Harpeth Hall (18-2) it’s only two losses of the season.

The winning goals came unassisted by Kirstin Robertson in the first half, and by Rebecca Morris after a cross-field serve from Roberson in the second half. That extended the lead to 2-0 before Sarah Bossung scored for the Lady Irish with three minutes left to play.

TSSAA DII A Champions

With penalty kicks looming large, Madeline East got on the end of the ball in a scramble in front of the goal and knocked it in for a 2-1 victory over University School of Jackson.

East’s goal, which gave the state title to St. George’s, came with about three minutes left in the second overtime period.

Senior Brittney Correia gave the Grypons’ a 1-0 lead with a penalty kick. She also scored on a penalty for a 1-0 semifinal win over Battle Ground Academy.

Rachel Giampapa tied the game for USJ with a goal with 15 minutes left in regulation.

University School of Jackson had beaten St. George’s twice earlier in the season and finished with a 17-2-1 record. St. George’s finished 14-4-5.