Bearcats go on road for matchup against 9th-ranked Bears
Published 3:36 pm Tuesday, November 12, 2019
- Bainbridge players hold their helmets up on the sideline during the kickoff of last Friday’s game against Thomas County Central.
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Bainbridge won’t have the opportunity to host a playoff game this season, but it doesn’t mean the players won’t bring all their energy and intensity to Griffin on Friday to play the Bears.
The Bearcats met Griffin four years ago for the first round of the 2015 state playoffs in Bainbridge, where Bainbridge won 35-7. Griffin currently sports a 9-1 record and sits at second place in Region 3-AAAAA.
Coach Jeff Littleton is making sure his team remains focused this week, both on and off the field, so they can take care of business on the road Friday night.
“You have to be able to focus on what you’re doing because there are so many distractions from the time you get from here to there,” said Littleton. “Just being able to channel your focus into what you’re supposed to do.”
Practice has been going well this week, he said. Bainbridge is hot off a 42-7 win over rival Thomas County Central, a win that put them into the state playoffs as a 3-seed for Region 1-AAAAA.
Griffin’s offense is led by dual-threat quarterback Darshaveious Foster, who has 2,046 passing yards and another 173 yards on the ground. He’s thrown 23 touchdowns this season.
Aalijah King leads the team in rushing with 1,177 yards and 20 touchdowns.
“They are a spread team, but they run it just as much as they throw it, so they are really versatile offensively,” said Littleton. “We have our work cut out for us in stopping the run and the pass. We think we match up pretty well with them. We have a good scheme that we feel good about.”
The Bears defense also sports a few disruptive players between linebacker Jaden Echols, cornerback Jeffrey Johnson and defensive lineman Damarjhe Lewis.
“They are all athletic,” said Littleton. “It’s a challenge. I think we match up fairly well with them. We just need to have a good week of practice and work hard. We need to execute the things that we do at practice and then go up and match their intensity at home.”
The Bearcats kick off against Griffin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Griffin Memorial Stadium.
