The Bearden Bulldogs met the Ravenwood Raptors in the Class AAA state championship at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on Friday, May 22, 2026. The Bulldogs fell to the Raptors in Penalty Kicks. (Photo Tanner Walker/5SP)
BY DAVE LINK
MURFREESBORO – Bearden senior goalkeeper Eli Keener felt like he had seen Friday’s scenario before. Because he had seen it before.
But he hadn’t been in it.
Keener was the backup goaltender in 2024 and watched Bearden play Ravenwood of Brentwood to a scoreless tie in the Class AAA state championship match, and the Bulldogs won in a penalty-kick shootout.
The same happened Friday, two years after Bearden goalkeeper Logan Nelson made the winning PK stop and then the winning PK and beat Ravenwood.
This time, Ravenwood won the PK shootout 3-1 and clinched the state championship at Siegel Soccer Complex.
“I envisioned us winning,” Keener said, “me making the winning save or the winning shot, but it didn’t come down to that. But I’m really proud of this team and everything. They’ve put everything into it.”
Garza Law is the proud sponsor of 5Star Preps’ 2026 TSSAA Spring Fling state championship coverage May 19-22 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
In a game played through driving rain with an inclement weather delay at the half, Bearden (20-1-4) fell short of its seventh state championship while making its eighth consecutive trip to the Class AAA state tournament and its 19th overall trip.
Ravenwood (18-3-3) won its first state soccer championship with junior goalkeeper Connor Shave earning MVP honors. The Raptors were making their seventh appearance in the state tournament.
Despite their past successes, the Bulldogs were a dejected bunch after Friday’s loss.
“A lot of teams would be celebrating this a little bit bigger, and we are,” Bearden coach Ryan Radcliffe said. “We’re very thankful for where we are, too, but I love the part that (the players) want more. That excites me as coach.
“You have to remind them, ‘It’s not easy just to get to state. It’s not easy getting out of districts. It’s not easy getting out of region.’ And now, they’re distraught about losing in PKs, so now you kind of have to let it sink in a little bit of where you got to and how difficult it was to get there. That’s a feat itself.”
Ravenwood finished with 16 shots and six corner kicks to Bearden’s nine shots and five corner kicks.
Keener and Shave were remarkable in goal during regulation time and overtimes. Keener was credited with three saves and Shave made five saves.
“Both teams had their opportunities,” Keener said. “I feel like we had the better opportunities to put the ball in the back of the net during play. You can look back on it all you want, but it didn’t go the way we wanted today and that’s the sad part about it.”
It wasn’t the first time this season Keener and Shave were locked in a goalkeeper’s duel.
Ravenwood and Bearden played to a scoreless tie early this season, but the teams didn’t play a shootout.
Keener also had thought about that match.
“I wish we could have put (a shot) or two away,” Keener said, “but I mean, it stings.”
In Friday’s shootout, Ravenwood took the first shot by Simon Hetrick, who scored on a low shot for a 1-0 lead.
Fadel Hamdan took Bearden’s first shot, and it sailed over the goal.
Ravenwood’s Aiden Carothers missed his shot wide left starting round two, and Bearden’s Aidan Ainsworth scored with a low shot past Shave, tying the shootout 1-1.
The Raptors’ Bastian Swartz scored with a low shot to the right side for a 2-1 lead, and Bearden’s Isaac Martinez missed his shot off the crossbar.
In the fourth shootout round, Aditya Chauhan scored with a low shot to the left side for a 3-1 lead.
Bearden’s Timothy Styles then had his shot blocked by Shave, securing an insurmountable 3-1 lead and the state championship for the Raptors.
“I think it was their first shootout this year, and I think it’s our third,” Radcliffe said. “You’re like, ‘Would we have the confidence going in with the experience, or would they be nervous?’
“Honestly, I think having to go through so many shootouts hurt us a little bit. I thought we second guessed ourselves on some shots and they didn’t, but to me, a PK shootout is a coin flip, and we lost the coin flip.”
Radcliffe left Siegel Soccer Stadium proud of his players and wanted them to be proud, too.
“I think somebody said we’re both top five in the country,” Radcliffe said. “Losing to a team that’s top five in the country with you in PKs isn’t something to be upset about in my mind, even though it will take some time to realize that.”