By Ken Lay
The 2026 postseason has been an exercise in frustration for the Bearden High School girls soccer.
The Lady Bulldogs have managed to survive and advance but the playoffs have been packed with close calls, comeback victories and overtime matches.
But that all changed Thursday night in the Region 2-3A Championship match.
It took less than a minute for Bearden to find the back of the net in a 3-0 victory over District 4-3A rival West High on a chilly night with a packed house at Turner-Allender Field.
The two longtime rivals met on Thursday, Oct. 15 in the District 4-3A title game and the Lady Rebels held the upper hand until the Lady Bulldogs’ Landree Horner tied the match in the waning stages of regulation, forcing overtime.
In extra time, Bearden sophomore Leighton Corum scored a pair of markers to lift her side to a 3-1 win and the district tournament title.
Horner made sure that that extra time wouldn’t be necessary in the region final.
She tallied in the opening minute of the game last week, giving Bearden’s young squad a 1-0 advantage. From there, Bearden would never look back meaning that coach Ryan Radcliffe could enjoy this one a bit more — at least early.
“That’s the frustrating thing about this postseason, we’ve had to come from behind and we’ve had to go to overtime,” Radcliffe said. “But if you get the result, that’s all that matters.”
The Lady Bulldogs (15-3-1) would add to its advantage in the 11th minute when Madi Bowlin buried a shot past Lady Rebels’ goalkeeper Brynn Bush to close out the scoring in the opening half.
West (10-6-2) would threaten after halftime but Bearden netminder Fallyn Baker, a freshman, and the Lady Bulldogs’ defense would keep the Lady Rebels at bay and off the scoreboard.
Bearden has one of its youngest teams in recent memory and Radcliffe noted that his side’s youth was a factor after halftime.
“We have a young team and I think, in the second half, you saw our youth, and that was frustrating because I wanted to see them come out and play well in the second half,” he said. “But it’s good to see our young players come in and learn about the tradition we have.
“It’s going to be them that carry the program after our seniors leave.”
Horner scored her second goal of the game to give the Lady Bulldogs a 3-0 lead in the 74th minute. Bearden outshot the Lady Rebels, 17-14. Bearden had 12 shots land on goal, while West had six shots on frame.
Baker posted a clean sheet in Bearden’s third match against West this season. The Lady Rebels defeated the Lady Bulldogs in their regular-season tilt and Bearden won the overtime thriller in the district finals.
In the Region 2-3A semifinals on Tuesday, Bearden outlasted Central, 4-2, while West edged Powell, 2-1.
Both teams advanced to Saturday’s state sectional round as Bearden hosted Morristown West and the Lady Rebels traveled to Johnson City to face Science Hill. Results were not available at press time.
In Region 2-2A: Anderson County defeated Gibbs, 2-1, in Clinton in the title match.
The Lady Mavericks were set to host Elizabethton, while Gibbs was set to travel to Greeneville for Saturday’s sectionals. Results were not available at press time.
In Tuesday’s regional semifinals, the Lady Eagles defeated Seymour, 2-1, and Anderson County blanked Carter, 9-0.
