Coach Ryan Radcliffe, Nyla Blue (1), Alivia Stott (17) and the Bearden Bulldogs visited the Farragut Admirals for a TSSAA District 4-AAA match at Farragut Middle School on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Bearden won 5-0. (Photo by Danny Parker)
ALL-TIME RECIPIENTS OF 5SP GIRLS SOCCER POY
2018 — Abbey Kolarik (Maryville)
2019 — Reyna Coston (Maryville)
2020 — Brinley Murphy (Bearden), Kayla Barr (Maryville)
2021 — Brinley Murphy (Bearden)
2022 — Brinley Murphy (Bearden)
2023 — Alivia Stott (Bearden), Nyla Blue (Bearden)
BY DAVE LINK
Bearden seniors Nyla Blue and Alivia Stott were starters for three consecutive state championship teams.
They didn’t lose a match during those three seasons.
They’re the 5Star Preps Girls’ Soccer Co-Players of the Year.
And they’re just getting started.
Both signed with Tennessee and have bright college futures, said Bearden coach Ryan Radcliffe.
“I think selfishly both have the ability to go in and start right away,” Radcliffe said. “I think Liv is such a dynamic player that she can go in and play any position that may be a void. That’s a credit to her.
“And if you look at Nyla’s athleticism and drive, they’re both the type of athletes and players that they’re going to go in and not be OK with not starting. They want to go in from Day One and earn their roles. From my perspective, they can both go in right away and help Tennessee be a top contender in the SEC.”
Radcliffe says Stott and Blue’s drive separates them from a lot of players.
“They want to win every practice,” he said. “They want to win every drill. They’re doing work outside of practice, almost to the point you have to tell them to take some rest days and let their bodies recover because they want to do so much outside of the field to improve themselves. Again, it goes back to where both of them are headed and the careers they’ve had.”
Nyla Blue and the Bearden Bulldogs faced the Houston Mustangs in the TSSAA Class AAA state championship game at CHI Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Bearden won 3-1. (Photo by Danny Parker)
ON BLUE: ‘WHOA, THAT’S A STUD’
Bearden finished the 2020 season with a 20-2 record, losing to Franklin 1-0 in the Class AAA state semifinals. Its other loss was to Chattanooga’s Girls Preparatory School by a 3-1 score in the second game of the season.
That’s when Radcliffe got his first good look at Blue, a starting defensive midfielder for GPS in 2020.
“Even as a freshman she looked like one of the more athletic players on the field,” Radcliffe said.
Blue, the daughter of former Lady Vols basketball star Ace Clement, moved to Knoxville before the 2021 season when Ace and her husband, Avery Blue, moved to Knoxville.
“That’s a good lineage there,” Radcliffe said of the Blues. “When I heard (Nyla) was coming to Knoxville and enrolling at Bearden, obviously your like, ‘Whoa, that’s a stud.’”
And she wasn’t alone.
Blue’s sister, sophomore forward Jayla Blue, was Bearden’s second-leading scorer this year behind Stott.
With her sister on offense, Nyla played defensive midfielder in front of Bearden’s backline, which held opponents to eight goals this year and three goals in 2022.
Bearden posted 15 shutouts year.
“I think a lot of the time we had zeroes on the board, you can credit a majority of those to Nyla’s work and what she does for us defensively,” Radcliffe said. “We are so aggressive going forward with the ball and we are so good offensively because we are able to put a lot of players forward because we knew Nyla was able to cover a lot of ground for us defensively.
“In the big games, Houston and Albertus Magnus (of New York), some of our biggest games of the year, our defensive game plan a lot of times was making sure Nyla took out the other team’s best players, and you see the results that came from those.”
Alivia Stott and the Bearden Bulldogs visited the Farragut Admirals for a TSSAA District 4-AAA match at Farragut Middle School on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Bearden won 5-0. (Photo by Danny Parker)
ON STOTT: ‘SHE’S PLAYED EVERY POSITION’
Radcliffe relied on Stott’s versatility the past four seasons, but during club season with FC Alliance, Stott was primarily a defender alongside Blue.
“She’s played every position for us except goaltender,” Radcliffe said of Stott. “She probably could have played goaltender.”
Stott played forward and midfielder as a freshman, stayed at outside forward for the 2021 season, and moved to defense for the 2022 season.
Stott moved back to offense this year with the 2023 graduation of forward Brinley Murphy, a three-time 5Star Preps Player of the Year and a South Carolina signee.
“She’s kind of moved all over the field,” Radcliffe said, “and really, (Stott) kind of came up with the ideas each of those years from what she was doing in club.
“I’d give her a try, and holy cow, she was dominating, so why am I not putting her there? Then last year after we lost Brinley, that was kind of the question: ‘Who’s going to take over Brinley’s role?’
Stott did it with the help of senior teammates Jayla Blue and Bre Mendoza, both All-5Star Preps first-team players. Jayla and Nyla Blue are sisters.
Leading the offensive push was Stott, who posted 40 goals and 23 assists and finished with a school-record 69 assists.
Radcliffe said Stott’s versatility is hard to find.
“That’s such a rare type of athlete, especially at the Division I level that she has that ability,” Radcliffe said. “I think she’s soccer savvy and understands the game.
“You’ve got to understand the game to be able to play that many positions at that high of a level like she has for us the past few years.”