Lady Cavs’ Season Ends In Shutout Loss To Oakland

Story and Photos by Rusty Ellis

The Cookeville Lady Cavs fell behind 4-0 in the first half of their season-ending 5-0 loss to Oakland in the Region 4AAA semifinals.

The Lady Cavs defense played with more intensity in the second half, holding the Patriots to a single goal, but they couldn’t muster enough offense to overcome the deficit.

Head coach Lauren Metts wasn’t surprised by the talent on Oakland’s side of the field, as she says she knew they would be underdogs heading into this matchup.

“We knew they would be a really strong team,” Metts said. “This area always produces incredible teams to go up against and it can be a little daunting…just like almost every other game, we’ve been saying ‘no plays off, go as hard as you can and leave everything out on the field,’ and I think they did.”

The early deficit didn’t seem to phase Metts, as she says she tried to keep her team’s confidence up at halftime.

“It’s only been a half, and they got four (goals),” Metts said about her halftime message. “We’ve got a whole other 40 minutes to answer for that. We basically said to hold them here and push, and they did. We held them and did a lot of goods things and created even more offense in the second half, so I’m very proud of that.”

The end of the season means the end of the high school careers for the Lady Cavs’ seniors. When the team huddled for their postgame meeting, Metts made sure to let them know how much they meant to her and the program.

“We thanked the seniors for making us who we are as a team, and all they’ve given us as a team,” Metts said. “We made sure they knew that we wouldn’t be where we are without them, and that they’re always a part of this family. No matter what.”

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