How Rudy Dardon has made an instant impact for Bearden soccer after transfer

MARYVILLE - Rudy Dardon has been waiting anxiously for his first goal of the season for Bearden soccer. It couldn't have come at a better time.

With just over eight minutes left against Maryville on Tuesday, a hand ball in the box gave Bearden a penalty kick, and coach Ryan Radcliffe sent Dardon to make the kick.

The senior drilled the ball into the back right corner of the net to cement a 3-1 victory. The win ruined an  unbeaten start for Maryville (13-1-2)  and clinched the No. 1 seed in District 4-AAA for Bearden (9-2-2).

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"Rudy has been dying for a goal all year," Radcliffe said. "He's a workhorse ... and he has confidence. As soon as the PK (was called), I heard him calling for me, and it was Rudy running up. You've got to put your trust and people like that, and with how confident he looked, I didn't doubt him at all."

Dardon is a transfer from Hardin Valley and has made a quick impact on a Bearden team that entered the season as defending state runner-up. He is a team captain and has started every game.

However, it has been in a new position. Radcliffe uses Dardon primarily as a center defender, even though he was the District 4-AAA Midfielder of the Year in 2021.

"Their playing style was a lot different than other schools. It was kind of hard for me to get used to them, but once I got the rhythm, I feel like everything kind of smoothed out," Dardon said. "To get my first Bearden goal, I don't even have the words to describe it." 

Dardon's transfer also came with an unexpected challenge: Bearden switched from District 2 to District 4, making Hardin Valley a district opponent once again. The Bulldogs had a scoreless tie against the Hawks on April 21 and could see them again in the district tournament.

The rivalry with his old teammates is a small price to pay for Dardon though. He moved to Bearden for one reason: to win a state championship ring.

"To be honest, I just want to go and win games," Dardon said. "That's my only goal. I'll do anything to get the ring."

Another new face on the defense is sophomore Shepard McMurray, and freshman goalkeeper Logan Nelson, who allowed Maryville's only goal on a penalty kick, has started in just four games.

Radcliffe, who also coached the Bearden girls soccer team to the Class AAA state championship in November, said maturity is the team's biggest asset on its mission to return to the title game. The Bulldogs returned nine players who earned minutes in last year's championship, but new players like Dardon may be the X-factor in the postseason. 

"Shepard was subbing in last year on our JV team, and now he's he's stepping in," Radcliffe said. "And Rudy is not a center back. He doesn't want to be a center back, but he is bought into what we're trying to do and he just is out here for the team, so that's cool to see. They're game-changers."

Contact Emily Adams at eaadams@gannett.com or on Twitter @eaadams6.