Adversity will inevitably play a role in any soccer team’s season. It can either take out a team and cause a group to spiral, or a team can learn from it and be better because of it.
It looks like Coach Ryan Radcliffe’s Bulldogs may have just found a way to learn from it.
Due to a number of unforeseen injuries and game absences, along with the tough non-district schedule that has become a tradition for Bearden teams under Coach Radcliffe, the 2024 Bulldogs started out the campaign at 1-2. This is the first time a Bearden team has been under the .500 mark since the 2018 season and the first time a Bearden team has suffered multiple regular season losses since the 2019 season (the same season that a Bearden boys team has won a state title).
But Bearden has managed to find their way out of that hole as the Bulldogs have won five straight contests against quality opponents to set them up for district play, starting with a big game at home against Hardin Valley on Friday night at 7.
“We’ve had several injuries and moving parts during this early part of the season, which has been frustrating at times, but has also helped us to build our depth and get players experience playing varsity minutes that they probably weren’t expecting to get coming into the season,” Coach Radcliffe said. “I’m hopeful that this group has learned how to better deal with the adversity that a season brings and how to overcome it.”
Bulldog seniors Shepard McMurray, Nic Prins, and Jack Raulston are the three captains for this year’s team. This role carries a lot of responsibility for a team that has a relatively young roster compared to past Bearden teams. The three seniors, who have all been getting meaningful playing time since their sophomore seasons, have taken this role very seriously since being elected.
“As captain, I have more responsibility than my peers,” said McMurray, who is coming off an all-district junior campaign as a center back. “I’m looked to by my coaches to always be a leader and carry a good attitude with me to help us win.
“I have to be responsible and be a role model to all the younger players that we have this year.”
The experience that the three captains bring to the team is a big advantage, as they are replacing six starters from last season.
“Our biggest challenge with a young group is getting them to understand the standard that has been set before them,” Coach Radcliffe said. “We carry a heavy load on us because our jerseys say Bearden.
“We are going to get every team’s best performance night in and night out, and we have to understand that we can’t take plays off or not put our best foot forward for 80 minutes.”
This young group has a large challenge on their hands this year, as District 4-AAA will again prove to be one of the toughest districts in the state of Tennessee. The Hawks (10-1, 3-0) are traveling to Bearden riding a 10-game win streak and looking to take a commanding lead in the district standings.
“Our captains and senior leaders need to be stressing the importance of this game to the team throughout this week, but also provide a sense of calmness and composure to our play because this type of stage isn’t new to any of us,” Coach Radcliffe said. “We have a really good matchup against a really good HVA team, and we need them (senior leaders) to lead us in that game and throughout district play.”
Added senior forward Wylder Lee: “This is a game that we need to win. If we drop this one, it will be really hard for us to win the district, but we have the talent to beat them.”