High school soccer tourney kicks off with thriller
The first Crescent Cup girls soccer tournament kicked off at Brookland-Cayce and Airport on Thursday, with Class 4A No. 2 Lexington defeating Spring Valley 3-2 at Brookland-Cayce.
Lexington got goals from Megan Classer, Tiara Evans and Mackenzie Currie. Spring Valley got two from Kathryn Lenti. Lenti scored her second with 13 minutes left, ending the scoring.
“We’re right in the middle of region, so it’s a tough time to play in a tournament,” said Lexington coach Chris Fryland, “but this is a great tournament to be in.”
After years of hosting their own respective tournaments around the same time, crosstown rivals Airport and Brookland-Cayce teamed up to co-host the 32-team tournament.
“We’re rivals on the soccer field, and we compete against other,” said Airport coach Keith Morris, “but we are also sister schools in our school district. So we support each other off the field, our players are friends with each other, they play on the same club teams. So it just made sense to come together.”
Brookland-Cayce coach Katie Chappell said the idea was born of conversations with Morris while both were coaching in the Congaree Rapids Soccer Association.
“We said it’s silly for us to compete against each other, when we’re trying to make money for our programs, for the kids,” Chappell said.
This year’s tournament features 2014 state champions Hilton Head and Oakbrook Prep, along with runners-up J.L. Mann and Christ Church. Local teams include Blythewood, Irmo, River Bluff, Swansea, Pelion and Cardinal Newman.
The action resumes at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, and runs from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The title game is 2 p.m. Sunday at Brookland-Cayce.
This story was originally published March 26, 2015 at 11:11 PM.