CULLMAN, Ala. – After knocking off Ft. Payne at home to start out the Class 6A 2026 state soccer playoffs, the Cullman Bearcats looked to carry that momentum into their second-round game at home against Randolph. Neither team was able to hit a goal in not only regulation, but in overtime as well, and the game would be decided in a five-player penalty kick shootout. The Bearcats wound up winning the shootout over the Raiders, 3-2, to move on to the third round.
It was a very physical game from the start, as neither team was willing to give an inch in an attempt to win the game. Randolph looked to have scored their first goal of the game with less than 14 minutes to go in the first half, but a penalty negated that goal. Both goalkeepers came up with some great saves to keep the game scoreless at the break. The physicality didn’t slow down one bit when the second half got underway, as both teams gave it their all on both sides of the field. Just like in the first half, the Raiders looked to have put in the first goal of the game, but another penalty took that goal away from them as well. Both goalkeepers continued to play great in front of the net. A penalty on Cullman gave Randolph a chance to win the game with 20 seconds left, but great defense by the Bearcats sent the game into overtime.
Neither team was able to crack the scoreboard in both five-minute overtime periods, so the game would be decided in a five-player penalty kick shootout. Senior goalkeeper Levi Hokanson stopped the first shot from going into the net. Another senior, Carlos Medina, put in the first goal of the game for Cullman. Randolph nailed their next two shots, but junior Reed Flores and sophomore Blayce Fisher knocked down their shots as well to give the Bearcats a 3-2 lead. Both teams missed their fourth shot of the shootout, and what Cullman needed to see happen is the Raiders missing their final shot of the shootout. They got their wish, as the shot sailed over the net, and the Bearcats ended up holding off Randolph, 3-2, to move on to the next round.
Cullman head coach Will Drake was so incredibly proud of his team for picking up a big win at home against a really good Randolph squad.
“I want to credit one of our own coaches, coach Trent Dean, who earlier in the week, said that a setback is a time for a comeback. That’s what I told the guys right before the extra time, that we’re going to make this place a fortress. We know how to defend. We’ve been practicing that all year. That’s the hard stuff. That’s the stuff that makes you want to get the extra water at practice, want to make you go take a break. These guys put all that effort in all year. They brought it out onto the field tonight. This was the time to use it, and good grief, it was a fortress here in Cullman tonight, including the calvary back there, all the trucks. Our student section was phenomenal, and it helps to have that huge rush of adrenaline behind you,” Drake said.
Coach Drake was so happy to see Hokanson had a big game in front of the net, and he credits all of the goalkeepers for putting in the hard work during the regular season and the playoffs.
“All of our keepers together have been working really, really hard to train each other, so that’s a credit to all of them. Levi is the one that gets to step up and make the big saves, and when you go and make that save initially on a penalty shootout, that puts enormous pressure on the other team. I couldn’t be prouder of his work ethic, couldn’t be prouder of him making his senior year a great one so far, but we’ve got more work to do,” Drake said.
Seeing his team make it past the first round for the first time in several years last week made Drake one happy coach, and he wants to continue the legacy that was built before he came in as coach. Getting this chance to coach some special players makes him super blessed to be doing this for a living.
“It’s always been part of the legacy of Cullman High School, going back to our 2002 state champions with their coaches. They were expected to win playoff games, and with coach Harbin, they were expected to win, and with coach Drake in between them, they were expected to win, and now, we’re bringing that back to Cullman High School. It feels unbelivable, and again, for me, it’s doing justice for the legacy of the coaches before, putting those expectations on the program. We’re fulfilling them,” he said. “This team has been one of my most fun years that I’ve had, mainly because these kids are willing to show up, and they have a positive attitude about the difficult things. It’s a special group to clench the teeth and to bite into the knife a little bit, and to be able to defend your house like this on a night that it could’ve gone the other way.”
Cullman has played some great teams so far in the postseason, and the road will only get tougher for them from here on out.
“We’re seeing great teams. Randolph was a fantastic team. As we progress, we’re going to continue to see fantastic teams. We’re going to continue to do the things that we’ve done that has gotten us here as far as preparation. We look at, What does the other team bring? How can we adapt?, and How can we take things to them to make them adapt?, and of course, put in the hard work at that time.”
The Bearcats will take on Gadsden City in the third round of the Class 6A state soccer playoffs on Thursday night at 7 p.m.
