Revenge tour over for Westbrook Christian after Class 4A/5A quarterfinal win over Guntersville
GUNTERSVILLE — The "revenge tour" is officially over.
That doesn't mean the touring is over for the Westbrook Christian girls soccer team.
The Warriors are now focused on the "victory tour" after exacting revenge over Guntersville in a 1-0 AHSAA Class 4A/5A girls soccer quarterfinal victory Saturday.
The Wildcats defeated Westbrook last season in the quarterfinal by the same final score.
"We just knew we were going to be back here and play Guntersville," Westbrook senior AC Edwards said. "We've called it revenge tour all year. And it's just crazy. We had the same exact playoff team lineup, same teams and everything as last year. So I just had a feeling that the revenge tour was gonna pay off."
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Just like last season, the Warriors beat Douglas and Lincoln in the first two rounds. Unlike last season, they flipped the script on Guntersville and are also not flying under the radar.
"We didn't expect to go as far as we did last year," Edwards said. "Nobody really noticed us. They were focused on our boys soccer team or baseball team."
The baseball team won its first state title last season.
Edwards, the only senior for Westbrook Christian (19-3), appropriately scored the only goal.
"She's the one who came up with 'revenge tour,'" Westbrook Christian junior Ella Keene said. "She's been keeping it going all year. She's amazing. She's one we look up to and to put in the goals and just to encourage us."
Edwards scored off an assist from Sarah Guffey on a corner kick in the 22nd minute. She called it the easiest goal of her career.
"I normally don't score off corners," Edwards said. "So I wasn't really expecting it. But when (Guffey) kicked the ball and no one was on me, I was like, all I have to do is just tap it in, and I did. It paid off."
Westbrook Christian pulled off the victory despite being without coach Joel Hawbaker, who was dealing with a family matter.
Boys coach Danny Dunlap stepped in, but the team looked to their senior leader to guide them.
"AC has been our leader all year," Westbrook Christian girls athletics director Holly Ostendorf said. "She's led this team so well, and we're so happy for her. She's wanted the final four so bad. So it started with revenge tour, and now it's going to be victory tour."
The Warriors will play East Limestone in the semifinals at 3 p.m. Thursday in Huntsville.
"I'm sure obviously they're very good, but I don't I don't really know anything about them," Edwards said. We'll be studying all them all week."
Edwards was a seventh-grader the last time Westbrook reached the semifinals in 2017. The Warriors lost in the state championship in back-to-back years in 2016 and 2017 and are seeking their first state title
"I've always wanted to go to Huntsville," Edwards said. "It's always been a big goal of mine. You know, and then obviously want to keep winning. I want the blue map."
Contact Ehsan Kassim at 256-300-5313 or ekassim@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: AHSAA soccer: Westbrook Christian beats Guntersville in quarterfinal