It’s all about great poise.
That was my feeling as I left Saturday night’s Region 1-AAAA football game between the Bainbridge High School Bearcats and Houston County High School Bears in Warner Robins.
Falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, it would have been easy for a lesser team to lose their focus, but that is not the Bearcats’ character.
Bearcats head coach Ed Pilcher. who won five state championships at Thomas County Central High School before taking over the Bearcats football program, would not let that happen.
I have covered Pilcher’s Bearcats teams for four years and watched him and his fine staff make strides each season.
The poise they showed Friday night in coming back with two Terry Lewis touchdown runs and one Damian Bouie touchdown run to go ahead 21-14 at halftime showed a lot of poise and character.
Then, down 24 -21 and backed up on their own 3-yard-line as the fourth quarter clock was running down, their poise and character took over again.
The winning 97-yard touchdown run by Damian Bouie was the result of strong player execution in many areas.
Pilcher, who I talked with on Monday after he reviewed the game film, talked about the strong work of his players on the winning touchdown run.
First of all he talked about the good job quarterback Quincy Fortson did in carrying out his fakes and getting the ball to Bouie.
Then he talked about what a solid job of blocking the offensive line did on the play.
Then he talked about the strong job Bouie did of getting outside quickly, turning up field and outrunning the Bears’ defense down the left sideline for the touchdown.
Poise, character and strong play are three things the Bearcats have exemplified all season.
That is why they are going into Friday’s 7:30 p.m. Region 1-AAAA game against the Warner Robins High School Demons at Centennial Field with a 6-1 overall record and a 3-1 Region 1-AAAA mark.
Come on out to Centennial Field Friday night, enjoy all the Bainbridge High School homecoming festivities and let the Bearcats players, coaches, cheerleaders and band members know how much you appreciate the great job they have done this season.
I would also like to congratulate coach Jenny Oldaker’s Bainbridge Middle School Bearcats cross country team on winning the Southwest Middle School League championship, and Bennett Enfinger on winning the individual championship with a two-mile time of 12 minutes, 28 seconds.
Coach Eugene Singletary’s Bainbridge High School Lady Cats softball team also had a strong fall season.
All in all, it’s been a great start to what I think will be a strong 2011-2012 sports year in Decatur County Schools.