>> BALDWIN HIGH SCHOOL
The Bainbridge football team’s offense was unstoppable on Friday night.
The Bearcats scored on their first eight offensive drives in a 58-20 win over Baldwin.
However, it was a tight game in the first quarter between No. 1-seed Bainbridge and the No. 4-seed Braves, who put up quite the effort in the opening 12 minutes of play.
The Bearcats marched right down the field on the first drive, scoring in five plays. Bainbridge running back Keenan Phillips scored his first of three TDs on a 13-yard rush.
The junior totaled 108 yards on 13 rush attempts (8.3 yards per carry) and the three scores. Phillips’ second TD of the night came on the next possession after a Baldwin punt.
The Braves trailed 14-0 and faced a fourth-down on their next drive, which is when running back Micah Welch went to work. He picked up a 10-yard gain and scored a few plays later. Dyson Sallad then tacked on the PAT but the Bearcats still led, 14-7.
Still, Bainbridge’s offensive unit couldn’t be slowed down. The Bearcats put together an 80-yard drive, capped off by a 2-yard rush by quarterback Bo Smith. The PAT was good and they went back up two scores with 11 minutes to go in the half.
However, for Baldwin head coach Jesse Hicks’ sake, the Braves would respond quickly. Welch, who is a highly- touted prospect, broke off for an 80-yard rushing score. The 4-star prospect’s TD cut Bainbridge’s lead to 21-13 after Sallad’s missed PAT.
Still, the Bearcats returned the ensuing kickoff deep inside Baldwin territory, and Phillips' final TD came a few plays later. They led 28-13 but weren’t done yet in the first half. Smith then connected with Cam Murphy for a 28-yard run-and score TD on the next possession, extending the Bearcats lead to a 22-point margin (35-13).
Bainbridge wide receiver Antavious Murphy then got into the end zone to cap off the score in the first half. The senior hauled in a 38-yard reception for a TD from Smith on a fly route. The Bearcats’ 21 unanswered points at the end of the first half was the difference.
Smith was effective in the win, completing 13-of-20 pass attempts for 193 yards and three TDs. He also rushed for 48 yards on seven attempts for two scores in the win.
Murphy hauled in six receptions for 83 yards and a TD. Saunder totaled 70 yards on three catches with a TD. Phillips, Cam Scott and Darious Mills also all caught passes.
The second half moved very slowly, however, as the Bearcats outscored Baldwin, 16-7.
Bainbridge (7-4), the No. 6-ranked team in Class AAAA, moves on to face Burke County (9-2) in the second round of the state playoffs after eliminating the Braves on Friday.
Hicks’ squad ends the season with a 4-7 overall record. That mark this year is the least amount of games the Braves have won since 2014 when Lee Hannah was head coach.
Baldwin enters the 2022 offseason with hopes of improvement. The Braves will lose a lot of seniors, although they also return a lot of key pieces heading into next season.