It was a tale of two halves for coach Ed Pilcher’s Bainbridge High School Bearcats football team Friday night in Leesburg.

In the first half, the Lee County High School Trojans scored 34 points and jumped out to a 34-26 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Bearcats scored 34 points and held the Trojans to just seven points to pull away to a 60-41 victory.

Coach Pilcher and his fine coaching staff made some outstanding defensive adjustments at halftime.

The Bearcats’ final touchdown Friday night came on a 15-yard run by senior running back Emmanuel Miller.

In the story on Page 1B of Saturday’s “Post-Searchlight. Emmamuel Miller was identified as Emmanuel Lewis. We regret the error.

Junior running backs Terry Lewis and Damian Bouie turned in their usual strong efforts again Friday night. Lewis had 116 yards and two touchdowns and Bouie had 81 yards and one touchdown.

Senior quarterback Quincy Fortson continues to run coach Ed Pilcher’s split back veer offense efficiently.

On Friday night, Fortson gained 66 yards and scored a touchdown.

What the Bearcats, who are 7-2 overall and 4-2 in Region 1AAAA play, must do now is put the big victory over Lee County behind them and get ready for their final home game against the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets at Centennial Field.

The Bearcats’ big win over Lee County Friday night clinched them a berth in the State Class AAAA playoffs.

A victory over the Yellow Jackets would send the Bearcats to third place in Region 1AAAA. They would then play the loser of Friday night’s game between the Statesboro High School Blue Devils and the Ware County High School Gators, who are playing for the Region 2AAAA championship.

A loss to the Yellow Jackets would send the Bearcats to fourth place in Regon 1AAAA and they would play the loser of the Blue Devils-Gators game. Either way, the Bearcats will have to travel a good distance away for the playoffs’ first round.

Once you get in the playoffs, anything can happen, and the Bearcats have a very talented group of young players.

This week in practice, and this Friday night, the Bearcats will feel like they are going up against a mirror image of themselves selves.

Coach Pilcher is a former Central head coach and the Yellow Jackets run the same split-back veer offense the Bearcats run. Both teams also use an eight-man front on defense.

I urge all Bearcats fans to put on their purple and gold, come out to Centennial Field Friday night, fill the home stands to capacity, and cheer them on to a big victory. It should be a classic.

I have watched the Bearcats in practice and games and I guarantee you that nobody is going to outwork them.