Defending TSSAA soccer state champion Madison falls to Gatlinburg-Pittman in 2023 rematch
MURFREESBORO — The defending Class 1A champions are out of the TSSAA soccer state tournament.
Gatlinburg-Pittman defeated Madison 3-1 on Wednesday in the state semifinals at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro.
The semifinal contest was a continuation of a new rivalry between the two programs. The Highlanders (17-3-2) won the first meeting in the 2022 state championship game. The Mustangs (17-4-1) returned the favor in 2023 state title game.
The Highlanders play Chattanooga School of Arts and Sciences at 4 p.m., Friday.
Madison coach Jeremy Young recognized the Highlanders’ program and their play style.
“They really pay attention to the detail,” Young said. “You could tell when they’d get possession of the ball at the end of the game, they ran it down to a corner and ran as much clock as they could. That’s good gamesmanship.”
Yuiman Betanco Ramirez scored two goals for the Highlanders, one at the end of the first half and one at the beginning of the second half. Carlos Turcious added a third goal for the Highlanders.
Madison junior forward Jossemar Marcos scored the Mustangs’ lone goal on a penalty kick with 4:11 to play.
Young will look back at this team fondly having made the program’s fifth straight TSSAA state tournament. This year had its challenges for the Mustangs, Young said.
JOSSEMAR MARCOS: How Jossemar Marcos delivered for Madison soccer in TSSAA state tournament
“We had some injuries and everybody kind of stepped up to play new positions,” Young said. “That really speaks to the culture we’ve created at Madison, where it’s we get the job done, regardless of who’s on the field.”
Austin Chastain is a high school sports writer covering West Tennessee. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ChastainAJ, or send him an email at achastain@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: TSSAA soccer state tournament: Madison loses to Gatlinburg-Pittman in semifinals
