BHS soccer to focus on winning district games after 1-0 loss to Farragut

In a game where chances were at a premium, Farragut managed to make the most of one and it was all the Admirals would need. Farragut beat Bearden 1-0 on Friday night on their home field, helping the Admirals stay even with Catholic atop the district standings. The key moment came in the 33rd minute when Farragut forward Marvin Mendy broke away after the ball bounced to him off the Farragut wall on a Bearden free kick. “They’re going to make a couple of mistakes, and we’re going to make a couple of mistakes,” Bearden coach Eric Turner said. “And who capitalizes? They did on ours. “Something as basic as being able to get the ball up in the air on a free kick ends up costing us.” Mendy was left in a one-on-one battle with Bearden keeper Logan Dodson who came off his line, but Mendy calmly finished — leaving Farragut in front after a half that Bearden had mostly dominated. “We let the guy run right by us and that’s our own fault,” Coach Turner said. “Hat’s off to Marvin for putting the pressure on taking it to the goal and finishing, and that’s what these games turn on. They did the little extra work to get the goal, and we didn’t.” It was not for a lack of effort or opportunity, however, that the Bulldog goal didn’t come. Bearden had two early first half corners and two free kicks in the attacking third midway through the half (the second resulting in the counter attack goal). “Our touches were not very good today,” Coach Turner said. “Our forwards have been struggling all year; they just don’t know how to finish yet. That is a little frustrating.” Farragut controlled the ball much into the second half, but Bearden had several chances in the final half hour. Bearden forward Raphael Robinson put it in the net in the 58th minute, but Robinson was rightly judged to have been offsides. Shortly after, Robinson played a through ball for Conner McCarty, whose well-timed run left him just outside the box. But it was a difficult angle and Admiral keeper Brad Timmis came off his line to make the save. Bearden kept the pressure on with three long throw-ins and a free kick following McCarty’s run. On these, and following opportunities, Bearden just couldn’t find the net, with two headers being pushed just a foot wide of the post. “We’re just not gritty enough yet to do the little things to pull out those kind of games,” Coach Turner said. “Hopefully that will come in the next couple of weeks and sometimes you gotta catch some breaks. Basically all those throw-ins and corner kicks are who wants the ball more, and Farragut did a little better job of getting those than we did.” Added Farragut coach Wallie Culbreth: “That’s the best team we’ve played. The difference tonight could have been that it was our home field. The difference could have been tonight that we got to the ball a little bit quicker most of the time.” Whatever the difference was on the field, on the scoreboard it was 1-0 which has to be a disappointing result for the Bulldogs after playing so well the past few weeks. “Last weekend in Memphis we really showed we’re coming together as a team,” senior defender James Ferguson said. “And now we need to show it in districts.” The Bulldogs now sit with one win, one draw, and one loss in the district. And with most of their district games coming in the next couple of weeks, they will need results. Farragut and Catholic are both 5-0-1 in the district, with the only draw coming in their head-to-head meeting. “This one definitely puts us behind the eight ball now,” Coach Turner said. “Our district is just so tough you try to get your points where you can. It would have been nice to find us a tie, but in the end we didn’t deserve it. “We’ve got to get ready to go. We’ve got four district games coming up, and we’ve got to get ready to play.” And while the loss will be a setback in the standings for the Bulldogs, they are determined not to let it be a setback for their morale. “We just have to keep pushing forward,” Dodson said. “We have to take care of our district games. If we take care of our district games, we’ll get a good seed in the playoffs. That’s what we really want; we want state.” They also want to see the Admirals again. “(A loss to Farragut is) not happening again,” Dodson said. “We’re taking advantage, and we’re beating them.” Jacob Steimer is the sports editor for The Bark. Follow The Bark on Twitter @BeardenBARK, and like The Bark (Bearden High School) on Facebook.