Bainbridge’s defensive secondary doesn’t have to wait until August for competition. They are facing it every single day, according to coach Brian Hill.

“They face good competition each day,” Hill said. “You got someone standing right there next to, and if you don’t perform, you’re going to be on the sidelines.”

Competition at the defensive backs positions among a large group of players isn’t something the Bearcats had last year, Hill said. This year’s competition at practice will push the best out of the players and also provide a healthy amount of depth going into the season.

The extra competition creates extra expectations, though.

“I honestly expect a lot out of them this year,” Hill said. “We have some depth, and we haven’t had so much in the past. Anytime you get a number of kids that can compete with each other, you kind of get better each day. It kind of pushes them more.”

Senior safety Zyon McGee, who got a big start in the middle of last season on defense and stuck with it from there, will be one of the centerpieces of the Bearcats secondary. McGee had two interceptions last season, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Hill is excited to see what he’ll accomplish this season.

Junior Alex Baker got some playing time at the end of last season, and has proven himself enough this summer to get a starting nod at corner back.

“Those are the two main guys,” Hill said.

Junior Aaron Spivie, who also will play at wide receiver, is expected to get reps at cornerback. Two other juniors, Coryn Burns and Fred Thompson, are getting looks as well.

Freshman Caleb McDowell is impressing defensive and offensive coaches and will likely get some experience at cornerback before the season ends.

Hill looked at last season’s performance and noted some things the secondary needed to improve on, mainly communication-based. He noted Warner Robins’ quarterback this year would likely be junior Dylan Fromm, younger brother of Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm. That will be a game they’ll need to prepare heavily for when the time comes.

“This group right here is pretty aggressive on things,” Hill said. “They do a good job competing for the football. They have ball skills, too. They can actually catch the ball. A lot of DBs can’t. As opposed to years past, this group is more skilled and talented.”

Check back next issue for a look at Bainbridge’s special teams unit.