Bainbridge coach Jeff Littleton wants to see Centennial Field’s home stands packed Friday night.

The Bearcats are scrimmaging against the Lowndes Vikings (1-AAAAAAA), one of the premier teams in the state with a fan base that is known to travel well.

“I think it’s very important that we show up to support our kids,” Littleton said. “I know that usually they travel very well, and I want to make sure we have our support system in the stands. It’s important that our support is there to show our kids that we want to be on that same level as them.”

Bainbridge traveled to play Lowndes in Valdosta for a pre-season scrimmage last year, losing 26-9 but coming away with a better idea of what needed work. That same principle applies to this year’s scrimmage.

Where can Bainbridge get better? What is Bainbridge good at? Playing a strong program like Lowndes can reveal where the Bearcats are lacking, but also might inspire confidence in other areas.

The exposure the playersget against one of the premier teams in Georgia is a good measurement tool, Littleton said.

“We have worked since January, all winter and all summer,” he said. “It’s time to see what kind of strides we have made, and see where we are heading into the season, what needs to be corrected, what we’re good at and what we need to get better at.”

Lowndes has three players on the preseason All-State team: running back Travis Tisdale, offensive lineman Jalen Goss and athlete Michael Barrett, who plays as a dual-threat quarterback.

Littleton said the offense was explosive. He described them similarly after the scrimmage in 2016, saying, “We got out-blocked and out-tackled tonight… We were blown off the ball a lot.”

If the Bearcats can hang tightly with Lowndes, it’ll build confidence in the team heading into the season opener against Lee County on Aug. 25.

“They have some big-play capability with their quarterback and running back tandem,” Littleton said. “They have some good receivers on the outside, too, to keep you off balance. Their quarterback and running back are both preseason all-state in 7A, and they have an offensive lineman I think everyone in the country is after.”

Bainbridge kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Centennial Field.