Lady Mavericks embrace championship expectations

June 24, 2026 by Ken Lay

For years, the Anderson County High School girls soccer team has been knocking on the door.

The Lady Mavericks have reached the state sectional round in each of the past three seasons, but they are still seeking an elusive berth in the state tournament.

In 2026, Anderson County and longtime Coach Chris Curtin hope to change that.

“We want to make it to the state (tournament) this year,” Curtin said. “We’ve made it to the substate the last three seasons, and we’ve made it to the substate in six of the 10 years that I’ve coached.”

The past three seasons have featured plenty of success and memorable moments, but each has ended in heartbreak as the Lady Mavericks fell in the state sectional by the slimmest of margins.

In 2025, Anderson County posted a 14-6-3 record and completed a perfect run through the District 4-AA regular season to claim the league championship.

The Lady Mavericks also captured the District 4-AA tournament and Region 2-AA tournament titles.

That earned them the right to host Greeneville in the state sectional, before suffering a 1-0 loss to the Lady Devils.

In 2024, Anderson County finished 12-7-1.

The Lady Mavericks repeated as district regular-season, district tournament and region tournament champions before falling to Tennessee High in the state sectional.

The story was much the same in 2023, when Anderson County won every postseason match before losing to the Lady Vikings in the sectional round.

Now, the Lady Mavericks are determined to take the final step and reach the state tournament in Chattanooga.

Curtin expects his team to contend for another district championship, but he hopes this season extends well beyond that.

“I think we’ll be in good shape as far as the district [goes],” he said. “I don’t really know much about the region, but we’d like to win the region and get that substate game at home. It’s always an advantage to have that game at home.”

The Lady Mavericks are currently on the TSSAA-mandated two-week dead period, which began Monday and ends July 6.

Although the team cannot hold official activities during the break, Curtin expects his players to continue training together.

“I think during the break, they’ll get more touches on the ball and they will do their running,” he said. “We have great team chemistry. The girls have sent group texts.

“They do things together away from the game, and they really like each other,” Curtin said. “We’ve had a great summer. We have a driven group. This is probably the most driven group that I’ve ever coached, and I look forward to seeing what they can do this season.”

Anderson County returns 20 players from last season, including several starters.

Among the top returners are senior Roxana Aguilar, the team’s leading scorer, who can play forward or midfield; senior goalkeeper Bria Willis; senior defender Morgan Haire; senior defender Makalya Prinkki; junior defender Emma App; sophomore midfielder Kate Ahlstedt; and sophomore midfielder Kate Swisher.

Sophomore Kinlee Swisher is also expected to play a significant role on the back line after moving into a full-time varsity position.

The Lady Mavericks will also welcome a talented freshman class expected to make an immediate impact.

“I have 11 freshmen and two sophomores on the team,” Curtin said. “I’m excited to see how they play and grow.

“I think we have a good mix of experienced players and young players. You always want to win games, but I’m really looking forward to seeing how the team grows and develops.”

Once the dead period ends, Anderson County will have approximately six weeks to prepare for the season opener.

“We’ll come back and we’ll still have girls competing for a position, and we’ll hit the ground running,” Curtin said.

“We’ll come back and get ready for team camp at Lee University.”

Curtin credits the program’s sustained success to a complete commitment from everyone involved.

“You have to have buy-in,” he said. “The players have bought in. The parents have bought in, and the coaches are all on the same page.

“We also have great support from the athletic director and the rest of our administration.”

The Lady Mavericks will open the 2026 season by hosting Concord Christian on Tuesday, Aug. 18.





2026 Lady Mavericks Schedule

Aug. 18 Concord Christian Home

Aug. 20 Oliver Springs Away

Aug. 25 Oneida Away

Aug. 29 Gatlinburg Tournament

Aug. 29 Gatlinburg Tournament

Aug. 30 Gatlinburg Tournament

Sept. 1 Union* Home

Sept. 3 Kingston Home

Sept. 8 Scott* Home

Sept. 10 Oak Ridge Away

Sept. 15 William Blount Home

Sept. 17 Lenoir City Home

(Location subject to change)

Sept. 21 Powell Away

Sept. 22 Clinton* Away

Sept. 24 Webb Home

Sept. 29 Gibbs* Home

Oct. 1 Austin-East # Home

* District Game # Senior Night