Strong defensive stops at critical times were major factors in the Bainbridge High School Bearcats’ 24-19 Region 1-AAAAA victory over Columbus’s Hardaway High School Golden Hawks, on Friday night at Centennial Field.

Pilcher said Monday morning that his team’s defense really stepped up Friday night.

“Senior linebacker B.J. Cheatem had a big interception at our 3-yard-line to seal the victory,” Pilcher said. “We also had a big defensive stop right before that.”

“They reached our 3 on a long pass that we should have broken up, but we tipped the ball up and their receiver made a diving reception.”

Pilcher also thought his team had some additional chances to score, which they did not take advantage of.

“Hardaway had a bad snap that we had trouble picking up and eventually had to fall on,” he said. ”If we had picked it up cleanly, we could have run it in for a touchdown.

“They moved the ball on us, but our defense came up to stop them at key times.

“After they returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, we came right back to tie it up on a 77-yard Bouie touchdown run.”

Pilcher said the Bearcats got through the Hardaway game with no serious injuries.

“Everybody should be ready to go Friday night when we take on the Northside Columbus High School Patriots in Columbus,” he said. “They use a lot of different offensive sets, so our defense will be challenged again. Sometimes they line up with one running back, sometimes they line up with two running backs and sometimes they have an empty backfield behind the quarterback.”

 

By the numbers

Bainbridge                        Hardaway  

13                  First Downs         14

47-389             Rushes Yards       36-88

1                 Passing Yards            112

2-1-0                Passes (ACI)         16-8-1

49-390             Total Yards            52-200

0-0                   Fumbles-Lost        3-0

9-90                 Penalties-Yards     3-25

3-37.7              Punts-Avg.            3-43.0

Bainbridge Individual Statistics

 

Rushing: Terry Lewis 18-187, 2 TD, Damian Bouie 15-154, 1 TD, Michael Stubbs 10-35, Tremain McCray 3-30. Team Kneel 1- (-1).

Passing: Preston Norris 1-2.

Receiving: Lewis 1-1.

Kickoff Returns: Lewis 1-13, Victor Bodison 1-1.

Punt Returns: Cameron McDowell 2-6.