Ray Dover didn’t mince words.
Hardin Valley’s first-year boys soccer coach told his players Saturday’s TSSAA playoff loss should hurt considering the benefit of hosting an interstate game against a team that lost in the regional final. . He also reminded them of something else.
“I love you all and I will always be your coach,” Dover said.
In Class AAA, Hardin Valley (19-3-1) lost to Science Hill, 4-2. Had the Hawks won, they would have made it to the state tournament for the first time in program history.
Hardin Valley led 1-0 at halftime thanks to Ali Tarchane’s goal, but as soon as the second half started, his header slipped behind his team’s back line and his shot went well over the goalie for the first goal. I forgave you.
Dover said the “bizarre and bizarre goal” completely changed the atmosphere of the contest in about 20 seconds.
Moments later, Hardin Valley regained the lead at 2-1 thanks to a header by David Hart, but as Coach Dover explained, “There was a lot of wind in the air.” He did not let the confidence he gained from his first goal be shaken. their sails. ”
Dover, who led the program at Farragut from 2016 to 2020, remembers his first season at Hardin Valley as leading the most cohesive group ever in his 16th year coaching. He said he was deaf.
“I’ve never been around a group of kids that care about each other as much as these kids do,” Dover said. “I don’t think it’s even close, and I don’t think there’s even a close second place.”
The team’s closeness was a key factor in the team’s success, which included winning the district title at Thursday’s Region 2-AAA championship and defeating Bearden, the dominant team in the Knoxville area for more than a decade, 1-0. It became an element. And just to prove that nothing ever goes to plan, Bearden (18-3-1) advanced to the state tournament with a 1-0 win over previously undefeated Dobbins-Bennett on Saturday.
Dover acknowledged that the passion and camaraderie of the players has helped him on a personal level, as his mother suffered a broken leg in January and his father is battling illness.
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“The boys have always been good to me in my life,” Dover said. “I’ll never forget this group because I’ve never been around a group that has done so much for me. I’ve learned so much from them. I hope they learn as much from them as I did.”
Hardin Valley went 13-4-6 last season and reached the Class AAA state semifinals. Dover is excited about the potential next year’s team has, as they only have seven graduating seniors and a disappointing squad of underclassmen who want to return to Murfreesboro.
“I felt like this was a game we absolutely had to win,” Dover said. “But sometimes you learn more from your losses than your wins, so we’ll grow even more and come back very strong next year.”
Toyroy Brown III is a sports reporter for Knox News. Email toyloy.brown@knoxnews.com. Previously on X, he was on Twitter, @TJ3rd_.
