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The True Citizen, Wednesday, November 4, 2020 — Page 9A
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bite past the Bears
Kohen Rogers goes up for the catch.
Bulldogs
BEN ROBERTS
benroberts@bellsouth.net
The Burke County Bears
played host to the Thomson
Bulldogs last Friday and,
as usual, there was a lot at
stake for the future of Region
4-AAA.
The Bears were unable to
make up for a slow start and
costly errors, allowing Thom
son to come out ahead 30-23.
“Not the outcome we want
ed, obviously,” admitted Bears’
head coach Eric Parker. “We
could never just totally over
come a shaky start. You can’t
get down 17-0 in a rival game
when your opponent is pretty
good. Although we rallied back
and were able to tie the game, it
took just about everything out
of us and we couldn’t finish.”
The loss puts the Bears (2-3
overall, 2-1 region) in a tie for
third place in the region with
Morgan County, who will
travel to the Bear Den in two
weeks. The Bears will travel to
face Elephzibah this weekend,
who won their first region
match-up against Cross Creek
last week.
“Right now, like we told
the kids today, we’re just in
a fight every week,” Parker
said. “We’ve got to make sure
we get ready for Elephzibah.
We’ve got to do a good job,
have a great week and get our
focus back. Sometimes after a
loss like that you can kind of
find yourself in a funk.”
Burke County outgained
Thomson with 382 yards of
total offense compared to the
Bulldogs’ 367. The Bears had
a balanced night with 194
passing yards and 188 yards
on the ground, while Thomson
had only 70 passing yards but
gashed the Bears’ defense with
297 rushing yards.
Burke County lost three
fumbles on the night compared
to one by Thomson, but Bears’
defenders nabbed two intercep
tions while only giving up one
to the Bulldogs.
The Bears’ shaky start in
cluded a three-and-out on their
first possession of the game.
A punt and one play later, the
Bulldogs had put their first
touchdown on the board to go
up 7-0.
As they have done for much
of the season though, the Burke
County defense stepped up and
did their job keeping Thomson
out of the end zone for the re
mainder of the first half. With
third-and-goal to go and 7 sec
onds left in the second quarter,
Thomson elected to take the
points with a held goal to go
into halftime with a 10-0 lead.
That momentum would
carry over to the second half
when the Bulldogs would go
54-yards for another touch
down on their first play of the
third quarter.
Burke’s next drive was an
other three-and-out but a mis
handled punt by Thomson
gave the Bears the ball again
with good held position. James
Mable would score on a 34-
yard pass from Marshall Flow
ers on the next play. The point
after kick by Jacob Hickman
made it 17-7.
Thomson scored on its next
drive but missed the point after
attempt, stretching their lead
to 23-7.
Flowers would connect with
Daveion Henry on the next
drive with a 58-yard pass and
run for another Bear touch
down. Jordan Franklin’s two-
point conversion would make
it 23-15 with 5:35 left in the
third quarter.
Two drives later, Franklin
found the end zone again on a
nine-yard run. His second suc
cessful two-point conversion
would tie the game at 23-23
with 6:46 left to play.
Thomson would eat up a
lot of clock with a long drive
ending in a six-yard touchdown
run to put the Bulldogs up 30-
23 with just over a minute left
to play.
The Bears thought they had
completed an incredible come
back when Flowers connected
with Franklin on a 30-yard
pass to the end zone with just
16 seconds remaining but that
score was overturned by a flag
against the Bears. Another
penalty and a sack put the game
out of reach for Burke County.
“The kids gave a great effort
trying to get themselves back in
it,” Parker said. “You just can’t
afford to dig yourself in a hole
and that’s what we did.”
Parker said the goals for
his team haven’t changed as
they’re still playing to make
the state playoffs.
“We talked to the seniors
and a few of the juniors that
have been in that situation and
we talked about how going
forward they’re just going to
have to step up and lead the
way,” he said. “We’ve got
youngsters playing, they’re
talented youngsters and we
think they’re going to be re
ally good but at the end of the
day that’s why your leadership
that’s been there before is so
important.”
Spartans 3-5 heading to region play
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
The first region game of the
season is also Homecoming
for the Spartans, and Edmund
Burke is hoping for a big win
on Rogers Field.
Their opponent is longtime
foe Thomas Jefferson Acad
emy, whose Jaguars boast a
6-2 record for the 2020 season;
they defeated the Spartans 39-
20 in a non conference back in
September.
Head coach Aaron Phillips
says this time around, he hopes
the guys can hang on to the
football. “If we can avoid the
turnovers like last time against
TJ, execute a little bit on of
fense and keep their offense
on the sidelines, we should be
fine,” he said in anticipation of
Friday’s game.
“We are out a lot of players,
but it’s not because of Co-
vid; it’s because of injuries,”
he said, adding that in the
Spartans’ 28-8 loss against
Southland last week, they were
without six starters. “We’ve
lost three players for the season
with season-ending injuries;
they all started on both sides
of the ball. So that’s six posi
tions out of twenty-two. We
are finally getting some kids
back, but it’s tough to practice
every week when you’re miss
ing kids and you’re having to
move them around, especially
our young guys.”
He credits those younger
players for stepping up this
season.
“They are really working
hard to get better, and they
are improving each and every
game,” he said. “It’s just hard
when you’re 14 andl5 years
old being called on to play
varsity football.”
Last week’s offensive effort
was led by senior Eason Waters
who had 119 yards on 23 car
ries and scored the Spartans’
sole touchdown and 2-point
conversion. Brantley Jones had
87 yards on 8 carries. The pair
also topped the Spartan defense
with 13 tackles apiece.
The Spartans will kickoff
Homecoming this Friday, Nov.
6, at 7:30 p.m. see below for
the Homecoming court repre
sentatives.
Lively
just like the "loyal opposi
tion" never accepted the cur
rent president and tried every
means, legal and not so legal,
to remove him.
That's an argument that has
no ending, apparently.
As for me, if my Georgia
Bulldawgs can somehow man
age to win the mythical Nation-
Continued from 4A
al Championship, I don't care if
there are twenty asterisks next
to the historical documenta
tion. Cause in my book there
will be twenty of these, !!!,
proclaiming my joy.
Yeah, but.
I don't care, I'd take it * and
all.
EBA 2020 Homecoming court
Edmund Burke Academy is celebrating Homecoming week and these ladies make up the 2020
Homecoming court. On Friday evening, during halftime of the Spartans’ game against Thomas
Jefferson Academy, they will be presented. Representing their classes are, from left, standing,
freshman Kallie Dailey, sophomore Marlee Mobley, juniors Alaina Boulineau and Caroline Gunter,
sophomore Kelsey Jaquess and freshman Zailey Baker; and sitting: seniors Claudia Eastmead,
Morgan Clark and Malana Williams. One of the three senior class representatives will be chosen
as queen during. The Spartans kick off against the Jaguars at 7:30 p.m.
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