Coach Heith Maxwell’s Bainbridge Middle School eighth grade Bearcats football team shut out Cairo’s Washington Middle School’s eighth grade Tigers Thursday at Centennial Field.

They grabbed an early 6-0 lead when tailback Tristen Love ran 26 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. Love was stopped as he tried to run in for the 2-point conversion. He ran three times for 64 yards on the drive.

The Bearcats increased their lead to 14-0 when Love ran 14 yards for a first quarter touchdown and fullback Bowen Dodson ran up the middle for the 2-point conversion.

The advantage went to 20-0 when tailback Ed Jones ran 17 yards for a second quarter touchdown. Quarterback Alex Baker tried to run in for the 2-point conversion but was stopped short.

Wide receiver Ted Thompson caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Love in the second quarter to put the Bearcats up 26-0. The advantage increased to 34-0 in the third quarter when Thompson returned a punt for a 39-yard touchdown and love ran a sweep to the right for a 2-point conversion.

Later in the third quarter, Thompson caught a 47-yard touchdown pass from Love and Ed Jones ran off left tackle for the 2-point conversion to increase the advantage to 42-0.

The Bearcats’ final touchdown of the day came on a 34-yard run by Randy Fillingame in the fourth quarter. Tailback Ralph Register ran off right guard for the 2-point conversion.

Coach Maxwell said he was proud of his team’s great focus and hard play pointing out that they ran well, passed well and tackled well.