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Barrow News-Journal INSIDE THIS SECTION Award-winning local sports coverage •Football recaps •Football contest 2B 4B •Columnists • BCA volleyball -8B 9B October 26, 2016 Phone: 770-867-6397 Fax:706-621-4115 sthompson@barrowjournal.com Section B ★★★★ Also in today’s sports section: The Winder-Barrow and Apalachee high school cross country teams, boys and girls, are gearing up this week for the GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA meet in Winder Saturday morning. Read about each team and their preparations and see more photos inside. — Page 5B High School Football: Winder-Barrow High School Football: AHS ‘Must-win situations’ LOOKING FOR RUNNING ROOM Winder-Barrow’s Teague Moore returns a kickoff last week against Gainesville on Friday. The Bulldoggs’ 30-16 loss dropped them to fourth place in GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA as they gear up to host Habersham Central 7:30 p.m. Friday at W. Clair Harris Stadium. A Winder-Barrow win and an Apalachee loss to Gainesville would clinch the Bulldoggs a state playoff spot. Photos by Scott Thompson Bulldoggs need win over Habersham to secure playoff spot By Scott Thompson Sports Editor Last week’s 30-16 loss at Gainesville left Wind er-Barrow High School’s football team with a lot less wiggle room in the postseason race. A loss this week to Habersham Central wouldn’t eliminate the Bulldoggs from a third straight trip to the state playoffs, but it would leave them needing a win in their regular season fina le at Dacula and relying on other region games that week to go their way in order to get in. If the Bulldoggs beat the Raiders, they would officially clinch a spot if Gainesville beats Apalachee on Friday. Winder-Barrow coach Heath Webb would defi nitely prefer the latter sce nario. “I think we’re really in must-win situations from here on out now,” said Webb, whose Bulldoggs (4-4, 1-2 GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA) will host Habersham Central 7:30 p.m. Friday at W. Clair Harris Stadium. “If we win, we can clinch a spot, and the next week would be for playoff seeding. We don’t need to worry about needing help in week 10. We have an opportunity to handle business on our own without having to depend on somebody else to do the dirty work for us.” But Webb also knows the Raiders (4-4, 0-3). will be See Bulldoggs on Page 4B JUMP BALL Winder-Barrow defensive backs fight for a pass against a Gainesville receiver during Friday’s region contest. The Red Elephants won the game 30-16. Playoff hopes on line for Wildcats By Scott Thompson Sports Editor The Apalachee High School football team has zero margin for error over its last two regular season games if it wants even a shot at the postseason. That’s not lost on Wildcat coach Steve Sims, as his team begins its final stretch with a home game against Gainesville 7:30 p.m. Friday. The GHSA Region 8-AAAAAA contest carries weight for both teams as the Red Ele phants (4-4, 2-1 region) would clinch a state playoff spot with a vic tory. “If we win our last two games (against Gainesville and Haber sham Central), the worst we could do is be tied for fourth in the region, and we’d have a chance in the tiebreaker,” Sims said. “If we lose either of these two games, then we’re out. It’s that simple. So we’re approaching these next two games like playoff games that we’ve got to win. “If we can win this week, then we can make game 10 mean some thing. That’s been our motto. To make game 10 mean something, you’ve got to win game 9.” The Wildcats (2-5- 1. 0-3) were blown out 45-9 at region co-leader Lanier last week, large ly thanks to a domi nant performance by Longhorn quarterback Noah Fritz. Things won’t get any easier for the defense this week against Gainesville. Red Elephant junior quarterback DJ Irons keyed his team’s 30-16 win over Winder-Bar row last week, throw ing for 155 yards and three touchdown passes to three different wide receivers. “He is what makes them go, no doubt.” Sims said. “Even if you cover everybody, he has the ability to keep plays alive and find somebody open. They’ve got some good receivers that can make big plays for them. “All around, they’re explosive and fast on the perimeter. If you miss one tackle, they can really make you pay for it.” Though stopping Gainesville may prove to be a tall task. Apalachee may have to do so in order to have a realistic shot. The Wild cat offense has strug- See AHS on Page 4B FIGHTING FOR IT Apalachee needs a win Friday night over Gainesville to stay in the playoff hunt. Photo by Jessica Brown High School Football: Bethlehem Christian Academy Knights make playoff debut By Scott Tliompson Sports Editor The Bethlehem Christian Academy football team’s sixth season in existence has already been an historic one for the Knights. The first state playoff berth in school history is a huge feat, but not some thing BCA coach Lance Fendley was sure would materialize coming into the year after the loss of several key players from the 2015 squad that went 3-7. “We really didn’t know which side of the fence we would fall on,” said Fendley, whose team travels to St. Simons Island 7:30 p.m. Friday for a first-round GISA Class AAA matchup at Frederica Acad emy. “But our kids put their nose to the grind stone and earned themselves a chance to get to this point,” Fendley continued. “They’ve earned that little nod. It’s a great thing for the academy and the community. Hopefully it’s a building step to us being here every year and not just a one-and- done program.” The season has been an up-and-down one for the Knights (4-6), who started off with victories over Piedmont Acade my and Monsignor Donvan before losses to Community Christian and Bethlehem Temple. After a 2-1 start to play in Region 1-AAA, the Knights dropped a 55-31 non-region contest to Augusta Prep and then closed out with a pair of region losses to the Heritage School (49-9) and Loganville Christian last week (20-14) to finish fourth. See Knights on Page 4B against Frederica Academy READY TO ROLL BCA running back Tanner Schwebel (4) and the Knights visit Frederica Academy on Friday in the first round of the playoffs. Photo by Jessica Brown