Bainbridge came to Cairo on Friday night prepared for a win, and it showed.

The Bearcats (2-1) found the end zone seven times for a 49-22 win over the rivals down Highway 84.

“Our focus was really, really good,” coach Jeff Littleton said.

Bainbridge scored on back-to-back drives to open the game and take a 14-0 lead. The Bearcats entered halftime up 21-8 and headed to the locker room to refocus after letting Cairo (1-2) score with 12 seconds left in the half.

Bainbridge almost scored on the kick return, but Aaron Spivie was tackled at the 5-yard line as time expired.
The Bearcats hit the gas in the second half and cruised to a 49-8 lead in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Mark Loeffler looked poised and in control under center. He was 8-for-13 with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Adrian Cooper. Loeffler got a roar from the crowd and amped up the team when he scrambled 41-yards for a touchdown, ending with a dive toward the pylon.

“I was just looking and I saw green grass, and then I took off,” Loeffler said.

He added another rushing touchdown later in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run. Loeffler brought up the levelof focus Bainbridge had as well, saying everybody played their parts.

“We’re loving this right now,” he said. “It’s big for us.”

Running back Dameon Pierce was fierce, rushing for 207 yards on 20 carries and scoring four touchdowns. He looked difficult to bring down at the line of scrimmage, and kicked it into another gear when he found open grass in front of him.

“We came out fast,” Littleton said. “We missed some assignments and had some penalties there in the second quarter. We refocused and our kids did a great job of finishing the game. It’s a great win for the program and for the seniors.”

The Bainbridge defense held the Syrupmakers to 121 yards rushing. Cairo quarterback Robert Peters was 18-for-32 with 113 yards passing and one interception by safety Zyon McGee.

“We came as a family,” linebacker Tre Storey said. “We are trying to keep the momentum going. We’re just going to build off our confidence and trust in one another.”

Both middle school teams and J.V. also beat Cairo.

Bainbridge returns home with a game against Early County next Friday. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.