As the Bearden boys soccer team competes in the postseason, they are determined to bring a positive attitude and competitive nature to every game.
This means continuing to play at a high level and taking every step to get to state.
“For [Coach] Ryan [Radcliffe] and I, we don’t see a reason to change our large-scale goals, which at Bearden, should always be to contend at the highest levels in our state,” assistant coach Peyton Berry said. “We all agree that it’s been too long since we’ve won a state championship, but the challenge is that thinking that way ignores the steps that get you there.”
The Bulldogs will continue their pursuit of their first state title since 2019 when they host Halls at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in a region semifinal. The match is an elimination game, but Thursday’s region final is not.
Bearden competes in a very competitive district and region, making it difficult to qualify for state. Despite this, senior captain Nic Prins believes they have the ability to make it there.
“I think that we have the skills to win every game we play as long as we remain focused and play with each other and for each other,” Prins said. “No reason we can’t go all the way this year.”
Added junior Lucas Ford: “We’re going into it knowing we have all the pieces to be a state winning team. It’s just we need to put them together to get what we want.”
When asked about the team’s attitude for the postseason, Coach Berry said that each and every player holds one another accountable, and that it is up to them to determine how they will be remembered.
“They’re definitely demanding of each other, maybe too much so at times, but maybe the playoffs can reveal what our team’s attitude will be remembered as,” Coach Berry said.
While the team must work together to get to state, key players such as Ford, senior Dillon Sims, and captain Jack Raulston help to lead them through the postseason.
“Lucas Ford, Dillon Sims, and Jack Raulston can all unbalance a team on their own or together, and they’ve mostly picked up where we left off a year ago,” Coach Berry said.
If Bearden beats Halls, the Bulldogs will play the winner of Oak Ridge and Hardin Valley in the Region 1-AAA final before playing in a sectional game Saturday.
“I think all the seniors and especially captains are going to have to lead the team in postseason because we’ve been around this type of atmosphere longer than anyone else on the team, so it’s our job to guide the team to crucial victories,” Prins said.
Though this is just the beginning of the journey to state, the boys are optimistic that they can use the experiences from this season to take them all the way to a state title.
“We had to play in a lot of high-stress and high-quality games, and you only get better at that by doing it,” Coach Berry said. “I’m optimistic our best performances are ahead of us now that – unlike a month ago – we’ve been through those games.”
Bearden won the District 4-AAA tournament with a 9-0 win over Heritage, a 3-0 win over Farragut, and a 3-1 win over Hardin Valley in the final.
“We still have more steps to take until we get [to the state final], but we are a hundred percent good enough,” Prins said. “I can see us on that final field across from Brentwood once again.”