The Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets, the Region 1-AAAA football champions, defeating Bainbridge 13-3 in a game played before a large crowd at Centennial Field.

With Harris County and Jones County losing Friday night, Bainbridge will finish third in Region 1-AAAA and travel to play N. Clayton High School in Atlanta next Friday night.

BHS kicker Keenan Adams’ 37-yard field goal attempt with 8:09 left in the first quarter was wide left. The Bearcats drove 30 yards and seven plays from the Central 49 to the Central 19 to set up the field goal try. BHS’ Shawn Samuels returned the game’s opening kickoff 34 yards from his 17 to the Central 49. From the 49, Harper ran up the middle four yards to the 45. Quarterback Rohan Gaines ran left for eight and a first down at the 37. Gaines then got six to the 31 and six to the 25 and a first down. Jeremy Harper ran up the middle for two yards to the 23 and one to the 22. Gaines got three yards to the 19.

With 8:42 left in the second quarter, Thomas County’s Griffin Bell kicked a 34-yard field goal to culminate an eight-play, 57-yard drive. With 3:39 left in the second quarter, the Bearcats’ defense held the Yellow Jackets on a fourth down and two to go, taking the ball back at their own 23-yard-line. With 41 seconds left in the half, a long pass to a Yellow Jacket receiver in the end zone fell incomplete.

With nine seconds left in the half, TCC’s Bell kicked a 37-yard field goal culminated an eight-play, 56-yard drive and gave the Yellow Jackets a 6-0 halftime lead. With 5:42 left in the third quarter, BHS’ Adams kicked a 46-yard field goal to culminate a five-play, 47-yard drive. The drive was set up when Bearcat Kenny Jacobs recovered an Eric Dodson fumble at the Central 47. Smiley ran five yards to the 42. Then Gaines got seven and a first down at the 35 and four to the 31. Smiley got three to the 28, setting up Adams’ kick.

Thomas County’s Lavoyd Reddick ran 13 yards for a touchdown with 6:46 left in the game to culminate a five-play, 47-yard drive. Bell’s extra point made it 13-3 in TCC’s favor. A 15-yard face mask penalty against the Bearcats moved the ball from BHS’ 32 to their 17.