Defenses clashed Thursday at Centennial Field when neither The Bainbridge Bearcats nor the Washington Tigers were able to put many points on the board in the eighth grade SOWEGA Championship.

But it was the Bearcats who came away with a close 10-2 win. This marks the fourth time in 4 years the Bainbridge eighth graders have played in the SOWEGA Championship under coach Heith Maxwell, and the third time they have won it.

Washington was first on the board with a safety. A low snap to the Bearcat punter in Bainbridge’s own end zone was bobbled, and the punter took a knee to handle it, marking him down. The Tigers led 2-0 with 2:01 left in the first quarter.

Not a single other point was scored in the first half.

Washington took the kick off to start the second half and put together a drive that took them from their own 31 to Bainbridge’s 28-yard line. Bearcat defensive back Dewayne Kyles stopped a sure touchdown on the next play that took the Tigers to Bainbridge’s 21-yard line.

Three plays later, the Tiger quarterback dropped back to pass, but Bearcat inside linebacker Jvon Lee pressured him, hitting his arm as he was releasing his pass, the ball then fluttered behind his intended target and into the outstretched arms of Bearcat Outside Linebacker Anthony Florence, who returned it 76-yards for a pick-6. On the 2-point conversion Boutwell ran a quarterback bootleg to the left side for the score, and it was 8-2 in the Bearcats favor with 4:43 left in the third quarter.

With 1:34 left in the game, The Tigers attempted a pass play while backed up in their own end zone. A Washington receiver caught it, but Bearcat Defensive Back Roquon Freeman hit him, forcing the receivers knee to touch the ground resulting in a safety to make the score 10-2.