The Bearcats’ second pre-season scrimmage put the team up against the Pelham Hornets at Centennial Field on Thursday, where they posted 41 unanswered points.

Junior quarterback Brett McLaughlin was 6-for-11 with 148 passing yards and four touchdown passes in the 41-0 practice win.

The Bearcat defense held the Hornets to 59 yards of total offense in the first half. The second half of the scrimmage saw J.V. and varsity players taking the field to earn experience.

“I think we executed on both sides of the ball for the most part,” head coach Jeff Littleton said.

He also said blockers handled their assignments well around the perimeter, and the defense was able to make big plays around the perimeter as well.

Sophomore running back Dameon Pierce led the team on the ground with 93 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Other key offensive players were Tyler Story, who scored the opening touchdown on a 50-yard pass play, and Zyon McGee, who scored two touchdowns for a combined 57 passing yards.

Littleton’s main concern with last week’s scrimmage against Cairo was the amount of penalties the team was flagged for. This week, he was pleased with the penalty decrease, but other problems still linger, he said.

“Mainly, we need to be able to get lined up faster on both sides on the ball,” Littleton said. “We had some fundamental breakdowns, some blocks in the back where we’re trying to block behind the runner.”

Next week, Bainbridge hosts Early County in a non-region game to start the regular season. Littleton said after both scrimmage games, he trusts his players to keep getting better and show up next week well-prepared.

“I feel confident that the kids are going to come out and work hard and correct their mistakes,” Littleton said. “That’s all I’m really worried about right now.”

The Bearcats kick off against the Bobcats at Centennial Field next Friday at 7:30 p.m.