MURFREESBORO – After 100 minutes of intense soccer, the least stressful part of the game arrived.
That is how Bearden soccer goalkeeper Logan Nelson described it Friday after his team was tied 0-0 after regulation and two overtime periods with Ravenwood in the TSSAA Class AAA state championship game.
“I love PK’s,” Nelson said. “People don’t believe it but it’s the most relaxing part of the game. I screw up its not on me, but if I save it I’m the hero of the game.”
The junior was meant to be the hero, blocking one shot from Ravenwood and drilling the fifth and final penalty kick.
Bearden is state champions once again, winning 1-0 (5-3 on penalty kicks) after a 0-0 score in regulation and overtime at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex. It marked the sixth state title in program history and the first since 2019.
“What a fairy tale ending,” Bearden coach Ryan Radcliffe said.
Radcliffe is no stranger to championships won via a penalty kick shootout. That was how his team won its last state title and how he won a title as a player on Bearden in 2006.
Radcliffe won it all without a dominant goal scorer like Lucas Nordin who was last year’s Tennessee Gatorade Boys Soccer Player of the Year and is now at East Tennessee State. Regardless of that fact he didn’t doubt the talent and work ethic of the players remaining.
“I believed in them since Day 1,” Radcliffe said. “I told them at the beginning of the year there’s no reason this group can’t win a state championship. Absolutely no reason, we’re Bearden. We lose pieces and we’re gonna miss these seniors and be right back there.”
The pressure in this contest intensified as Ravenwood narrowly miss with shots bouncing of the post. However, the backline and its leader at goalkeeper denied every scoring opportunity available.
As soccer balls soared, so did Nelson. The junior goalkeeper floated to grab and deflect balls in regulation and both overtime periods.
“Logan is a beast back there,” Jack Raulsotn said. “Without Logan, I don’t know how far we would go. Logan is really our block piece.”
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The state championship felt most amazing to the 10 seniors who not only end their high school careers on a high note, but also obtain redemption. They had previously lost in the state championship game in 2021 and 2022.
“This is a dream definitely come true, I’ve been waiting four years for this,” said Raulston who is one the senior captains. “It’s perfect, this is the only way I wanted to end (my high school career).”
Raulston, a Berry College signee, also experienced another milestone as he and the rest of the team went back to Bearden on Thursday during the state tournament off day for Division I teams for their high school graduation.
The state title is also sweet for the entire as they have a rebuttal to the Bearden girls soccer team who have won three consecutive state championships.
“The girls let us know about it a little bit,” Nelson said. “Now that we won state I could go back and be like we won state too.”
Toyloy Brown III is a Knox News sports reporter. Email toyloy.brown@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly Twitter, @TJ3rd_.
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