MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - There were two simultaneous conversations going on in the moments immediately after McCallie's 1-0 win in a Division II-AA soccer state semifinal Wednesday.
Standing by the bench, junior defender Jonah Bryan yelled, "We're not done yet!" Meanwhile, walking toward the bench while imploring his team to clean up, coach Chris Cushenbery yelled out, "We haven't done anything yet!"
The Blue Tornado did inch closer to their first state championship since 1999 and second overall with the win over Christian Brothers at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex. McCallie (14-1-4) will face Montgomery Bell Academy today at 5 p.m. EDT.
Noah Cingilli scored in the 48th minute on a ball that popped out right outside the box. It was his first goal of the season and first scored by the senior midfielder since a two-goal game in his club team's state semifinals.
"The ball popped out and I just focused in," Cingilli said. "It's what I've trained for all season, and I came through. It was a great feeling that I haven't had in a long time."
It was also much needed, as McCallie had been unable to score despite dominating all facets of the game to that point. The Tornado had 12 shots for the match, including two that hit off the crossbar and two that clanged off a side post.
Cushenbery said his players started pressing a little and attempted to change how they played some.
After Cingilli's goal, McCallie continued to attack and continued to create opportunities. The Purple Wave were able to get off five attempts, although none were dangerous attempts on goal.
"I'm proud of the guys," Cushenbery said. "They battled and were able to hold on and get a win."
Now McCallie faces an MBA program that has ended its season the past four years, including the last two in the Division II-AA state semifinals.
"It'll be a tough game, but we feel ready for it," Cingilli said. "We're mentally in the zone, and we're going to go do work tomorrow."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.