Three years of waiting came to a thunderous end for Ravenwood girls lacrosse—and they didn't just win the TSSAA Class AA state championship; they rewrote the record books in the process.
On May 15, the Raptors stormed past Bearden 19-4 on their home turf in Brentwood, securing the program's first TSSAA title with a historic 15-goal margin of victory. That shattered the previous record of 14 set by Harpeth Hall just last year, cementing Ravenwood's place in Tennessee lacrosse history.
It's a championship that means even more given the context: Ravenwood already owned three TGLA state titles, but this is their first since the sport was officially sanctioned by the TSSAA. And they did it the right way—together.
"It's really just a matter of them wanting to work together. Buying into the fact that we want to be a team," head coach Bill Dryer said. "I've told them, this is my fourth championship and every team that's won a championship, it's always a team, not individuals."
That team-first mentality is evident in the stat sheet. The Raptors boast six players with over 30 goals this season. No one player dominates—it's a symphony of unselfish play and trust. "We all play really well together," said junior Olivia Sacco, who led the charge with five goals in the title game. "Since we're all close, we all look for each other and we all know what we're capable of doing."
The Raptors (16-5) didn't shy away from a brutal schedule, and it paid off. They ran through powerhouse programs on the way to the final, including last season's inaugural TSSAA champion Brentwood and Williamson County rival Franklin—twice.
"We won't turn away from playing anybody," Dryer said. "The last three weeks we've been saying, it's really not about the opposition, it's about us. Just go out and do the things that you need to do and all those other things will take care of themselves."
That focus was on full display from the opening whistle. Ravenwood jumped out to an 8-0 lead after the first quarter and carried a commanding 13-2 advantage into halftime. Senior Addi Barlow added four goals, while the defense held Bearden to just two scores in the first 24 minutes.
With only a few seniors graduating, the future is bright for this Raptors program. But for now, they're savoring a championship built on chemistry, courage, and a relentless commitment to the team over the individual—a winning formula that any athlete can learn from.