This Friday night is set to be a special homecoming night for the Bearden Bears (3-4; 2-1 in 2A-4 conference play). The Bears won more than two games in a season for the first-team since the 2020 season. Bearden is set for another big winning opportunity as they host the Baptist Prep Eagles (2-5; 1-2) for homecoming.
The Bears are currently on a two-game winning streak after defeating their rivals in the Hampton Bulldog 20-14 at home two weeks ago and defeating the Episcopal Collegiate Wildcats 20-14. There are many players and several units that have helped the Bears win their three games this season.
In the 14-12 win at the Lafayette County Panthers on September 8, sophomore quarterback Markevius Jimerson rushed for 125 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown. He also threw a 14-yard touchdown to sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Nettles.
In the win over the Bulldogs, the Bears' defense was stout as they didn't allow a touchdown. Junior quarterback/linebacker Bryce Whisenhunt had a stellar performance on both sides of the ball.
Finally, in last week's win over Episcopal, the Bears saw a huge production in the young players that were elevated from the junior varsity level. One player was freshman running back/linebacker Matthew Chambers. In his first carry in a varsity game, Chambers took the handoff for 65-yards for a touchdown. He was also the team's leading tackler with nine as he also accounted for a sack and a tackle for loss.
Last year, the Bears dominated the Eagles on the road 42-14. The Bears' offensive line helped create push at the line of scrimmage to create solid running lanes for the loaded backfield. The Bears rushed for 393 yards on 38 carries for an average of 8.3 yards per carry.
The Bears can dominate the line of scrimmage in a similar fashion in this matchup. Defensively, the Bears are more efficient at the front-seven this season as they tough to defend in short-to-mid range passing plays and run plays.
The Eagles have allowed an average of 42.3 points per game, which is the most a defense has allowed in the state. This could be easily be the offensive game of the season for the Bears.
Bearden will host Baptist Prep on Friday night at 7.