 By Brian McCorkle |
After the Bainbridge Bearcats thrilling 24-21 win against the Coffee Trojans on Friday night, the Bearcats will now look to their first road trip of the year as they head to Thomasville to take on Thomas County Central.
Thomas County Central comes into Friday’s game undefeated at 2-0 as they took down Thomasville High School 31-0 last Friday. The Bearcats will be tasked with stopping Yellowjackets quarterback Samuel Brown and wide receiver Adam Hopkins who have accumulated for much of the scoring on the Yellowjacket offense.
When & Where: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jackets’ Nest, Thomasville
Records & Rankings: Bainbridge is 1-1 and No. 5 in Class 4A; Thomas County Central is 2-0 and unranked in 6A.
Last meeting: Bainbridge won 38-21 in 2021.
Things to Know: Thomas County Central is Class 6A’s most improved team, according to the computer Maxwell Ratings. Under first-year coach Justin Rogers, hired from Colquitt County, the Yellow Jackets have beaten Cairo 50-7 and Thomasville 31-0, avenging 2021 losses each time. Central is averaging eight yards per play on offense and allowing 139.5 total yards and six first downs on defense. Adam Hopkins, the state’s No. 1 senior wide-receiver prospect, has 10 receptions for 188 yards and three touchdowns. The revitalization comes at a good time in this series, which Thomas Central leads 19-18-2 but with Bainbridge having won the past five. The 2021 game was 21-21 at halftime with Bainbridge scoring the final 17 points. Bo Smith passed for 227 yards and three touchdowns, and Keenan Phillips rushed for 113. Both are back, though Smith got dinged up in a 24-21 victory over Coffee and didn’t play the second half. Cam Sanders was 5-of-8 passing for 92 yards and a touchdown in his stead. Phillips rushed for 140 yards against Coffee.
