Cats end season with 19-7 loss

By Joe Crine (Contact) | Post-Searchlight

Published Friday, November 13, 2009

The Bainbridge High School Bearcats dropped a hard-fought 19-7 decision to the North Clayton High School Eagles in a first-round state playoff game played Friday night in Riverdale, Ga.

The loss completes the Bearcats' season, with the team finishing with a 6-5 record and in third place in the nine-team Region 1-AAAA.

The Eagles, the No. 2 team in Region 2-AAAA, improve their season record to 9-2 and will advance to play the winner between Brunswick and Hephzibah.

The Eagles' star running back Clarence Jackson ran for a 4-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter, culminating an eight-play, 49-yard drive. Sandali Traore kicked the extra point to make it 7-0.

The Bearcats tied the game up 7-7 when Thomas Smiley ran one yard for a touchdown with 6:12 left in the second quarter. Keenan Adams kicked the extra point. The score was set up after BHS defensive back Shawn Samuels intercepted a Dennis Johnson pass and returned it 45 yards, from the Eagles' 48 to the Eagles' 3.

On first down, Smiley lost three yards to the six, but an offside penalty against the Eagles moved the ball back to the 3. Smiley ran two to the 1, then ran right for one and a touchdown.

Jackson's 39-yard touchdown run came with 2:49 left in the second quarter, culminating a six-play, 73-yard drive. Traore's extra point kick was no good.

In the first quarter, the Eagles ran 20 plays and the Bearcats ran just four plays.

Late in the second quarter, BHS quarterback Rohan Gaines completed a long screen pass to Smiley, who ran all the way to the eight-yard line but the play was called back for a penalty against the Bearcats and the half ended 13-7 in the Eagles' favor. The Bearcats also suffered from two personal fouls called against them in the first half. They finished the game with seven penalties for 70 yards.

With 5:58 left in the third quarter, the Eagles' Johnson threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Khalil Stinson. The Eagles' Michael Ross tried to run in for a two-yard conversion, but the Bearcats' defense stopped them short, leaving the score 19-7 in the Eagles' favor.

Early in the fourth quarter, with the Eagles' facing a fourth down and four deep in Bearcat territory, the Eagles attempted a fake field goal, but Johnson's pass was batted away by BHS' Samuels.

Senior running back Jeremy Harper completed his BHS career with 11 carries for 72 yards. Fellow senior Smiley completed his BHS career with 14 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Gaines, a junior, was three for six for 40 yards, while sophomore quarterback Steven Bench, who played most of the fourth quarter, was three for 10 for 43 yards.

Senior wide receiver James Hudson had three catches for 43 yards to end his BHS career.