WHITE HOUSE For the third consecutive season, cross-town rivals White House and White House Heritage faced off in the championship match of the District 9 A-AA Girls Soccer Tournament.
In keeping with the recent trend, the outcome remained the same as the Lady Blue Devils took control early on, cruising to a 5-1 win over the tournament host.
“I was very impressed with these girls tonight,” White House head coach Mike Felzein said. “They came out to play, and it was against a good team. To take control of that and play the way they did was amazing. Our keeper and defense had a great game. It was a physical game, and they definitely made us earn it. We were expecting it to come down to the wire when we came out, but the girls were ready.”
White Hose senior forward Brittney Breedlove added, “It’s amazing to get this win, especially being a senior. If it came against any other team we would still be excited, but for it to come against our rivals from the same town is just overwhelming.”
White House High freshman midfielder Leanna Nesbitt battles for possession with White House Heritage sophomore Callie Jo Roach.
Three of White House’s goals came in the first half. Sophomore forward Madisson Davis scored back-to-back goals to begin the game.
Then, later in the half, freshman midfielder Leanna Nesbitt converted on a penalty kick.
The Lady Patriots – the No. 2 seeds from the District 9 A-AA North Division – got on the board early in the second half with a goal from senior Faith Williamson.
However, White House – the No. 1 seed from the 9 A-AA North Division – responded with two goals from Breedlove to secure the win.
“The defense looked really shaky and just didn’t play well enough to win a district tournament,” Heritage co-head coach Rett Roach said. “The offense didn’t really help them out much at all. This is not the team I expected to see come out for the district finals. It’s what we’ve got, so now, we’ve got to play with the hand we’re dealt moving forward.”
White House High freshman defender Allyson Trimmer plays a ball out of the air in front of White House Heritage senior Faith Williamson.
The two teams played to a 4-4 tie when they met at White House on Sept. 29.
With the win, White House improved to 13-3-3. The Lady Blue Devils haven’t lost in more than a month, since a 6-1 setback to Harpeth Hall on Sept. 8, posting a 10-0-1 record over that span (with the one blemish being the tie with the Lady Patriots).
White House Heritage still advances to next week’s Region 5 A-AA Tournament but will travel to Nashville to face Lipscomb Academy – a 2-1 winner over Hume-Fogg in Thursday evening’s District 10 A-AA Tournament championship match – for its semifinal match on Tuesday.
“The better stuff is to come,” Roach said. “We’ve just got to put it in the next couple of days and play better, that’s all there is to it. You don’t get far in the state tournament or regions or sub-state playing like that.”
White House High sophomore forward Madisson Davis (14) and White House Heritage senior Briana Wilhite pursue a loose ball.
White House will host its region semifinal, facing Hume-Fogg on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The Lady Devils suffered a 1-0 loss at Hume-Fogg in the Region 5 A-AA Tournament championship match last season.
White House has won six consecutive district championships.
“I think we will go far in regionals if we play like we did tonight,” Breedlove said. “It doesn’t really matter what team we go against. We just need to hustle in each game, and we have a shot … and believe we can make it.”
White House High freshman midfielder Shelby Deering (2) battles for possession with White House Heritage junior Sky Baker.