Bainbridge captures subregion, routs Westover

BAINBRIDGE — The Westover Patriots entered Friday night’s game with a chance to force a three-way tie in the subregion.

Standing in their way were the undefeated Bainbridge Bearcats.

The Patriots couldn’t add a blemish to the Bearcats’ record as they fell 42-7 at Centennial Field.

The Patriots (2-6, 2-2 Region 1-AAAA ‘B’) knew coming in they’d have their hands full with Bainbridge running back Damien Pierce and wide receiver Tyler Storey. Both players are having record-setting seasons and Friday night added to that.

Westover head coach Octavia Jones said it was hard to stop the two of them once they really got going.

“We didn’t slow them down. We knew that those two players were gonna be tough to stop,” he said. “We game-planned as best as we could to try and slow them down. Wasn’t terribly upset with the way the defense played early, but they kinda got the momentum and we were never able to snatch that away from them.”

With the victory, Bainbridge clinches the Region 1-AAAA ‘B’ subregion title and will play at Cairo for the Region 1-AAAA title next week. Meanwhile, Westover can still make the postseason, but they must defeat Thomas County Central in Thomasville.

Pierce rushed for five touchdowns in the game, four in the first half alone. With time winding down in the first, the Bearcats got the ball to the sophomore, who took it 20 yards for the score.

After the extra point, Bainbridge lead 7-0.

In the second quarter, Pierce would get the handoff again on first down after a Westover punt and took it 45 yards for the score. He’d later rip off a touchdown from 49 yards out and with less than 30 seconds left in the half, he punched it in from eight yards out. He finished the first half with 12 carries for 145 yards.

The Patriots, on the other hand, had problems stringing together drives and finishing what few they did put together. They would get to the Bainbridge 22-yard line midway through the second quarter but eventually turned it over on downs. They went into halftime facing a 28-0 deficit.

Bainbridge (9-0, 4-0) picked up right where they left off in the second half. After a stalled drive, Westover got off a beautiful punt that put Bainbridge at their own two-yard line.

But field position didn’t affect the Bearcats as Pierce would break free for a 46-yard run. Two players later Brett McLaughlin found Storey for a 53-yard touchdown catch.

Westover would start on their own nine and answer with a big play on offense when Emory McKenzie found Camron Hill who put the Patriots in Bearcat territory.

A few plays later, Hill made a catch across the middle and suffered a leg injury and was helped off the field. Inside the Bearcat 25 for the third time of the night, the Patriots were finally able to finish the drive as McKenzie found Earvin Bush for a 19-yard touchdown. The PAT was good and the Patriots made it a 35-7 game.

Pierce would put the finishing touches on the game with a 10-yard touchdown to make it 42-7.

Postseason hopes are still alive for the Patriots if they defeat Thomas County Central next week. After Friday night’s loss, Jones told his team “win and we’re in,” and added that once in the playoffs, “anything can happen.”

He’s confident his team will come with the urgency needed to get the job done next week.

“I think they understand it,” he said. “We’ve been preaching it ever since we started subregion play that this is the time when we need to be reaching our peak so that we can try and get into the playoffs. So they understand what the challenge is ahead of us.”