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A year after being stopped at the brink of a state championship, the Cavaliers did their part to arrive back at the same spot. Again, Forest was thwarted by a strong outing in the circle and denied a title.

Tuscarora freshman Peyton Travis shackled the Jefferson Forest offense after the first inning, and an early flurry of offense by the Huskies (16-6) was enough to earn them a 3-1 victory over the Cavaliers in the Class 4 state championship at Monticello High.

“That’s what I wanted for them,� Harris said as the Huskies celebrated on the other end of the field. “That’s why the tears are there.�

Saturday’s title game loss was a slow drip.

Jefferson Forest (21-2) faced a 3-1 deficit after the top of the third and from there watched the outs dwindle away. Travis scattered four hits across a one-run complete game against a Cavaliers team that scored 15 runs in their first two state playoff contests.

Forest shortstop Ella Walker dropped in a two-out hit in the bottom of the sixth to bring designated player Kimber Spence to the plate, who belted a two-run homer in Friday’s semifinal win over Gloucester. The Tuscarora freshman fanned Spence to end the threat.

Travis showed more poise in the seventh by smothering a ground ball back to her by Forest’s Kylie Hendricks and throwing to first in time to record the final out for Tuscarora’s title with the top of the Cavaliers’ order on deck.

Travis felt comfortable, she explained, stepping to the circle in the bottom of the first with a 2-0 lead. Leadoff hitter Anna Hurst and Chloe Wools scalded consecutive doubles to get the Huskies on the board.

After JF’s Amelia Long got the first out, Brileigh Bass ripped a line drive that bounded off third baseman Adrianna Reynolds’ glove and into the outfield for a second run. Long worked out of the first after that to limit the damage.

For a moment, Saturday appeared to have the makings of a shootout.

Taya Hall, who has stepped into leadoff duties for JF after the loss of catcher Lauren Smith this week, continued a torrid playoff run with a single up the middle. Her speed manufactured a run, moving up to second on a bunt before taking another base after noticing no Tuscarora fielder rotated to cover third.

She then came around on a wild pitch with two outs for JF’s lone run.

Hall rose to the occasion in Smith’s absence, collecting six hits in three playoff games. Still, the absence of the Seminole District’s Player of the Year was evident atop the Cavaliers’ lineup.

“They wanted it so much for the seniors,� said Harris, who began to get even more emotional discussing Smith’s impact. “Losing a player of the year. Battling back without your leader. I hurt for them.�

After the first, Long mostly settled in against the Huskies lineup. In the third, Wools ripped a line drive to right field that Izzy Gooch couldn’t quite grab, allowing a leadoff triple. Kenzie Fries did her job to drive Wools (2 for 4, RBI, 2 R) in with a ground-ball out in the next at-bat to go ahead 3-1.

“What worried me most was our hitting [against Long],� Tuscarora coach Bridget Kemp said. “I was expecting my top half to go strong like that, but I was not expecting it off the bat because she’s a good pitcher.�

Kemp and her team watched as Long fanned 14 Gloucester batters in Friday’s semifinal, largely due to her effective rise ball. Long’s change-up was featured more frequently on Saturday, where she struck out 11 over seven innings while allowing six hits and three runs on 104 pitches.

“A game of inches,� Harris said. “I mean some of those balls went off our gloves. And if it’s in the mitt, maybe we don’t give up the runs early.�

Inches were all Travis and the Huskies needed. Although Long didn’t allow a hit from the fourth on, the freshman was even better. She held JF to just four hits on the day, issued no walks and hit two batters on 89 pitches. Hall and Walker were joined by center fielder Mati Gouldthorpe and first baseman Ashleigh Johnson with one hit each.

The Cavaliers ran themselves out of a two-out scoring opportunity in the bottom of the third on Johnson’s infield single through the circle. Gouldthorpe rounded second on the play, likely expecting a throw to first but Petruzzi cut her down heading into third.

Travis’ eight strikeouts weren’t overpowering, but it was just enough to keep the Cavaliers from driving the ball like they’re known to do.

“It feels really good,� Travis said. “I couldn’t be happier. And I’m so happy for the seniors that this is their end to their careers.�

It was a rather quick turnaround for Tuscarora (16-6), which Kemp said failed to qualify for a region tournament last year after falling in the Dulles District Tournament first round.

“It just shows the hard work that we’ve put in over the years,� said Petruzzi. “It’s just one of the best experiences you could ever ask for as a high school athlete.�

On the other side, Forest backed up its state title appearance in 2024 with an even better regular season. The Cavaliers went 20 years between state title appearances before going to consecutive ones these last two years.

The sting of the close calls won’t erase the good they’ve done, Harris said.

“You always want to win the last game. But you know what? They had one heck of a year. It’s the best record JF has ever had. And I’d have to say it’s the best team that I’ve ever had at JF.�