THOMASVILLE — As Cairo and Bainbridge gear up for one of the biggest rivalry games in South Georgia, the fate of the region hangs in the balance. Both the Syrupmakers and the Bearcats are coming into this game 3-0 with wins over Shaw, Westover and Hardaway and with two of the best running backs in South Georgia.

The thing to watch in this game is the backs. Cairo’s KJ Spence has emerged as a truly explosive running back. He leads the Syrupmakers in rushing yards per game with 83.8 and has recorded a team-leading 19 touchdowns this season.

On the other side, Keenan Phillips has continued his dominance for Bainbridge. The 5’7 senior has had an unreal season out of the Bearcats backfield. He has rushed for a total of 1198 yards and averages 17.6 carries a game. He leads the team in total touchdowns with 19, 18 of which are rushing TDs. Phillips is coming off a two touchdown performance against Hardaway, where he rushed for 125 yards on nine carries.

Cairo’s defense has struggled against teams with great backs. They gave up 246 rushing yards and three touchdowns to Thomas County Central and recently gave up over 150 to Hardaway. Against Pelham, the Syrupmakers allowed two separate rushers to reach over 100 yards and gave up nearly 300 yards on the ground in total to the Hornets. Slowing down Phillips is a must for the Syrupmakers.

Their victory could also depend on the performance of quarterback Juderek Gee-simmons. Cairo’s transfer QB has looked more and more comfortable as the season has gone on. He looked rough in the first game of the season against Thomas County Central, but since then has thrown for over 900 yards. He has completed over 50% of his passes and has thrown 11 touchdowns as opposed to just three interceptions.

If Gee-simmons can step up on Friday night, he could take advantage of a Bainbridge pass defense that has been questionable at times.

Bainbridge has struggled against the pass several times this year. They have given up over 135 yards in three games this season. Thomas County Central’s Jaylen Johnson dropped 140 on the Bearcats and Ware County put up 176 passing yards. The most significant statistical success that any team has had against Bainbridge was Westover who, despite only scoring one passing touchdown, threw for 258 yards on 22 completions.

It would not be strange for anyone to say that Cairo has the advantage in this game. With Cairo’s solid pass defense, Bainbridge’s offense will likely be one dimensional, relying heavily on the legs of Phillips. Meanwhile, the Syrupmakers could have real success if they run out a more balanced attack. It will still be a run heavy offense as it has been all year, but if Gee-simmons can make an impact in the air, Cairo has a shot at the region title.