MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Baylor's girls' soccer team celebrated two state championships at the stadium in the center of the Siegel Soccer Complex - the one the Lady Red Raiders won Friday by defeating Briarcrest, and the first of the nine the program won on the same date 20 years ago.
Baylor and the Lady Saints played to 1-1 through all the overtimes and the Lady Raiders ended up winning 4-2 on penalty kicks.
But it's a wonder they had any energy left to celebrate at all. They also played 100 minutes in their semifinal the day before, winning that one 2-1 over Father Ryan with a goal in the first of the two 10-minute overtimes.
By winning, Baylor capped an undefeated season, winning 14 matches and tying five.
"Twenty-six girls and a coaching staff had the same goal in mind," Baylor coach Curtis Blair said. "We'd go to work and try to get better every day. It was never about the results, at least not until this match."
Both goals came in the first half of the match. Grace Spurling scored the Lady Raiders' goal off an assist from Caroline Casteel less than 10 minutes into the match. Briarcrest countered with Peyton Moore's goal in the 27th minute with a feed from Sydney Ham.
And although there were no more goals scored, both teams had multiple close calls - some late - that could have been difference makers.
The Lady Saints got a save near the left post from someone other than the keeper in the first overtime, and Baylor narrowly missed a header with a little less than three minutes to play in a sudden-death period. Briarcrest (14-3-2) had two shots hit the right upright in the second 10-minute overtime.
When it got to PKs, Baylor missed its first and ended up down 1-0 and 2-1 with Avery Davis having the make. But after tying it at 2 on Lainee Bohannon's shot, Briarcrest missed, and missed again after Ara Rhodes put the Lady Raiders ahead 3-2. Katelyn Smith put the clincher in the left side of the net.
"That was a game that was just about momentum," Blair said. "Briarcrest would have it. Then it would come back to us. We'd have it a while. Then it would go back to them. To win a state tournament, I'm telling you that you have to be lucky. I don't care what anybody says."
The match was physical throughout, so much so Baylor keeper Peyton Randolph ended up getting injured twice - first on a collision in the first half and then she hurt her hand late in regulation. Shannon Urey filled in for more than 44 minutes of match time, including everything from overtime on.
"We knew in July there was something special about this group," Blair said. "You just never know which way it's going to go."
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmiddie.