Final four run ends, Legacy remains
Knoxville Catholic High School’s boys soccer team saw its 2026 season come to an end in the TSSAA Division II-AA state semifinals.
The Irish (9-7-4), which punched its ticket to the State Final Four with a penalty kicks shootout victory over top-seeded Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville on May 16, came up just short of a trip to the state title match.
But a 2-0 loss to Briarcrest Christian School at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro didn’t mar a successful campaign on the pitch for Catholic.
“It would’ve been nice to get to play one more game and play for a state championship,” Irish coach Josh Martin said. “But I couldn’t be prouder of these guys.
“Our seniors are going to remain in our program but they’re going to be alumni now and they’ll always be welcome to come back.”
The Saints kept Catholic at bay and off the scoreboard but Irish senior goalkeeper Tate McCarty made five saves in the match against Briarcrest Christian in KCHS’s first trip to the state semifinals since 2008, when it won the state championship.
Martin said he was extremely proud of the 2026 senior class.
“We’ll lose nine (seniors) and five starters, but we’re looking to be back next year,” he said. “I can’t say enough about how these seniors have set the standard for what I think this program is going to be moving forward.
“We want to live here in the Final Four. These guys have loved each other. They’ve brought the young kids along. They really care about the legacy they’re leaving and it’s a pretty damn good one. These are top-notch players and these are class young men.”
