GAME RECAP: Bearden 4-0 West
In the Onrise Care High School Game of the Week, the Lady Bulldogs overcame their regional rivals to continue their run at a second straight state title.
The Bearden Lady Bulldogs (20-0) added another piece of hardware to their trophy case this fall with a 4-0 win over the West Lady Rebels (14-3-1) in the AAA Region 2 Championship on Thursday, Oct. 20.
In the region semifinals two days earlier, Bearden controlled District 3 runner-up Powell in a 7-0 contest. West, meanwhile, faced tough competition in District 4 runner-up Hardin Valley, winning on penalties after a 0-0 tie held through two overtime periods.
Despite the chilly evening (still warmer than Tuesday’s match, from what I’m told), large crowds gathered in and around both sets of bleachers to cheer on the rival schools.
From the outset, the Lady Bulldogs applied as much pressure as possible on the Lady Rebels. Junior defender Alivia Stott took the first shot for the home team three minutes in, the ball flying inches above the crossbar. For her part, West’s junior midfielder Phoebe Scott fought early to neutralize those threats, making herself a presence from one end of the pitch to the other.
Through the first 15 minutes, hiccups in communication on the left side of Bearden’s attack were offset by well-choreographed plays on the right. The midfield duo of senior Morgan Hellman and junior Nyla Blue formed a pipeline for freshman forward Jayla Blue and senior Brinley Murphy. West’s back line, however, was simply too quick and rigid, intercepting every ball sent toward the box.
As the match progressed, the Lady Bulldogs found their feet on the left side of the pitch and mounted vicious attacks on the visitors. The Lady Rebels rarely found themselves in Bearden’s end of the pitch, and their defense faced constant pressure.
The match-up of Bearden’s forwards and West’s defenders gave the audience a preview of the future of SEC soccer. Despite a continuing illness that has kept her from practice, South Carolina-committed Murphy battled relentlessly with the Lady Rebel’s senior forward Nadia Johnson, a future Kentucky Wildcat.
The Lady Bulldogs opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when Stott fired a pass from the left side to Jayla Blue in the center of the box. She popped the ball up, then headed it twice over the defensive line and into the right edge of the net. The display left her bloody, with a deep gash in her left eyebrow, but she returned to the pitch in minutes.
The first half closed with little change. But Bearden returned from halftime eager to cement their lead and close out the victory.
Four minutes in, junior forward Bre Mendoza drilled a shot into the net. Two minutes later, she sprinted behind the defensive line to receive a pass from Hellman. Her shot was blocked at the line, but then the ball rolled into the corner of the goal. Moments after the restart from Mendoza’s second goal in the 46th minute, senior Becca Roth, who had been absent for several weeks with an injury, blasted a shot from nearly 30 yards out on the right edge that found the left side of the net. With that, the Lady Bulldogs extended their lead to 4-0 in two minutes.
Bearden continued to attack with much of the same intensity, but West found its rhythm and prevented any further scoring. The Lady Rebels were firmly on the defensive foot for the next 15 minutes, until the Lady Bulldogs began substituting some of their starters and slowing their attack. The visitors made a few trips toward the home end of the pitch late but managed a total of only three shots on the night.
Both teams continue to sectionals on Saturday to play for a trip to the state tournament in Chattanooga. Bearden will host Dobyns-Bennett, Region 1’s runner-up, while West will travel to Region 1 champion Science Hill in Johnson City.
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Bearden Head Coach Ryan Radcliffe
On his team’s adjustments:
“It was a little bit frustrating, because we talked a lot about how to break down a good defensive team, and we didn’t really do it in the first 20. Sometimes that’s this group. It kind of takes halftime, ‘hey breathe, show them again.’ And I mean, second half we came out and did awesome. I told the girls we’ve got to be able to adapt quicker. I think we saw it, but we’re just kind of in the moment very excited, and sometimes you’ve got to use that excitement in other ways. Credit to Jayla, getting that first goal in was huge, that always helps you settle down.”
On West’s defense:
“We know it’s a great defensive team. You’ve got two D-1 defensive backs there, and them adding extra numbers. Credit to them, it was a good game plan. You want to go out and do something different, challenge the other team to adjust, and they did that. With the middle the way it is, their strength is up the middle, and we had to use other areas that we’re not used to using. But we were able to do it in the second half.”
On senior forward Brinley Murphy playing sick:
“She didn’t practice yesterday. I sent her home. I just asked her to grit it out. We don’t ever want to be a team that’s one-dimensional, and I think we proved that. Teams do mark up Brinley, and we’re fine with that, because we have others that can break them down.”
Bearden Junior Forward Bre Mendoza
On her goals and the rest of playoffs:
“I think after our halftime talk, the adrenaline was really pumping, and we were all ready to put it away, because we didn’t want to sit around with a 1-0 lead. Especially with one of our players getting hurt, everyone had a little chip on their shoulder, so we were all just ready to come out and play. It was really exciting and fun to play in. I feel like I’m on top of the world, but of course the job’s not done until we win state.”
West Head Coach Roberto Castro
On his team’s performance and strategy:
“We went in trying to pack it in a little in the back. One reason is that we wanted to conserve some energy for Saturday—they all matter, but Saturday really matters—so we wanted to not chase them all over the field, and if we got forward to get a look then we’d do that. They’re just fantastic, and you’ve got to give them all the credit. Anything we tried, it worked for a little bit, but then they had an answer for it. So credit to their team, all the talent they have, and their coaches.”
On his team’s defensive play:
“It’s one of those things where if they’re constantly on you, once they crack it open there’s more to come. We told the girls, ‘I’m fine with giving up those low-percentage shots from 30 or 35 yards out,’ and then in the second half they just started banging them. If we’ve got to give something up, it needs to be those low-percentage shots. But then they just started hitting them.”
On Saturday’s match with Science Hill:
“Any time you lose it hurts, especially like that. But it’s like we told the girls, what really matters is Saturday. And I feel confident that we can go over there and beat them. It’s a very good team, well-coached and disciplined, but I think if we show up to play we can pull it off.”
Great job by Carter. GotW is a great idea and I hope the community appreciates the content and coverage.