The Bainbridge High School Bearcats and Lady Cats soccer teams defeated the Americus-Sumter County High School Panthers and Lady Panthers in a pair of Region 1-AAAA games Friday in Americus.

The Bearcats won 6-2 and the Lady Cats posted a 2-0 shutout. Coach Chip Ariail said he thought the Bearcats arguably played their best overall game of the season. They are 6-0 in region play and 8-3 overall.

They took a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute when sophomore forward Leroy Rivera powered a direct free kick from just outside the Panthers penalty area through a player wall and into and into the right post.

They increased their advantage to 2 -0 in the 15th minute when junior midfielder Jesus Contreras stole a pass at the top of the Panthers penalty area and put in a shot from 12 yards away.

The Panthers cut the advantage to 2-1 in the 19th minute when a forward got into the Bearcats penalty area worked his way through the Bearcats defense and kicked it in from seven yards away.

The Bearcats scored two more goals before halftime to go up 4-1. In the 28th minute junior forward Jaycee Castro kicked in a goal from eight yards out and in the33rd minute Rivera kicked in a goal from six yards out.

The Panthers cut the advantage to 4-2 with a goal in the 52nd minute. The Bearcats increased their advantage to 5-2 when senior midfielder Mauricio Granadas headed a shot into the goal from a lofted corner kick,

The final Bearcats goal came in the 77th minute when Rivera took a pass from Contreras and kicked in a goal from 12 yards away.

In the girls game the Lady Cats took a 1-0 lead when sophomore wing Aida Gonzales stole a ball on the right side and centered a pass to sophomore forward llean Marquez who shot it in from 80 yards out.

The Lady Cats final goal game in the 76th minute when senior midfielder Jennifer Jennifer Becerra kicked in a goal to the left post from seven yards out.