Coming off of their bye week, the Georgia Military Prep Bulldogs are hoping to get back in the win column against Wilkinson County this Friday.
It’s one of the oldest rivalries in the area, with the two schools first meeting in 1957. Wilco leads the series 21-7, including three straight convincing victories over the Dawgs. Prior to that, however, GMC won three straight in 2021-23, all by remarkably similar scores: 7-6, 12-6 and 7-6.
The Bulldogs dropped to 3-2 with their 20-0 loss to Jenkins County on Sept. 25. Now, they hope to jump up in the GHSA’s power rankings.
“Offensively, I thought it was especially important for us to get back our identity and rebuild some confidence,” head coach Gavin Tierce said. “Defensively, we continued to build on the physicality and speed that have been strengths for us all season. We also got some guys healthy and gave some of our younger players valuable reps.”
Wilkinson has gone 2-4 but experienced recent success with a 57-0 win over Twiggs County. Tierce said the Bulldogs will have to be prepared for an athletic bunch and they will need to play sound football on the defensive side of the ball.
“Their athleticism really stands out,” Tierce said.
“Especially in space, so defensively we’re going to have to play disciplined, tackle well, and limit explosive plays.”
On the offensive side of the ball GMCP will need to get back to playing the type of football they were playing at this time a year ago.
“We have to take care of the football and finish drives,” Tierce said. “We’ve had opportunities the last couple of games that we haven’t capitalized on, so that’s been a big emphasis for us. If we can control possession, limit mistakes, and turn those long drives into points, I think we’ll give ourselves a great opportunity to be successful Friday night.”
The Bulldogs and Warriors will meet this Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Milledgeville at GMC’s Davenport Field.