The countdown to next Friday’s practice football game against the Thomasville Bulldogs is on.

For the first official day of spring practice Monday, players wore full pads and practiced semi-full contact against each other at the Bainbridge practice fields.

For the past two seasons, Bainbridge coach Jeff Littleton opted to play an additional scrimmage game in August instead of hosting spring practices, per GHSA rules. This year, Littleton has chosen for his team to take the field early and get in a friendly game against the Bulldogs before the grind of summer workouts.

Rising freshmen were present at the practice, working out with other high school players. Eighth grade playmakers participated in drills next to rising seniors like Zyon McGee, Tre Storey and Dameon Pierce.

Each coach, including new offensive lineman coach Ryan Kineard, had a station around the practice field. Tackling drills, passing drills, agility drills and blocking drills were practiced by almost every player, regardless of position.

Littleton made his way around each station to provide input and coach up the players on fundamentals.

Coach Mike Harville, former wide receivers coach and new offensive coordinator for the Bearcats, was working with younger quarterbacks and walking them through the fundamentals of throwing passes. Harville replaces former offensive coordinator Scott Roberts, who is leaving after this season to be the head coach at Swainsboro.

Littleton praised Harville last week for his knowledge on the offensive side of the ball and his ability to coach fundamentals. A search for a new wide receiver’s coach is still ongoing.

Bainbridge’s spring practice comes on the heels of 12 weeks of winter workouts that saw the Bearcats growing their functional strength, Littleton said.

Players will practice the rest of this week and all next week, mixing up which days will be in full pads and which will be just helmets and gym shorts. Spring practice culminates next Friday, May 12, for the practice game against Thomasville at Centennial Field.

Fans will have the opportunity to see how the returning starters look after winter and spring workouts and also get a look at the backups and rising freshman.

The Bearcats and Bulldogs will kick off at 7 p.m. Admission will be $5 for students and $8 for adults.

CORRECTION: It was incorrectly stated that Markel Broadnax and Zion Bouie were rising freshman. The story has been changed to reflect that.