BAINBRIDGE- The Bainbridge Bearcats clawed away at the Syrupmakers during the Region Championship on Friday night, marking their seventh straight win over the Syrupmakers, 56-6.

The first quarter was a back and forth battle between the two teams with the Bearcats getting on the board first.

The Bearcats were within the Syrupmakers’ 20-yard line on their 2nd down with nine yards to go, when senior Keenan Phillips ran it in for a touchdown to go up 6-0. However, the touchdown brought about mixed emotions after Cairo’s OJ Teal and Bryian Duncan collided in the end zone.

The ambulance was called onto the field to cart Teal away.

After a 20-minute injury timeout, both teams returned to the field, where Nicholas Tyre attempted the extra point, giving the Bearcats a 7-0 lead.

Despite being shaken up by Teal’s early exit, the Syrupmakers refused to stay down.

The Syrupmakers were unable to get anything going during the first drive, forcing them to punt back to the Bearcats. However, after the punt bounced off a Bearcat, the ball was up for the taking and recovered by the Syrupmakers, giving them a 1st and 10 at the 50-yard line. Quarterback Juderek Gee-simmons then ran a quarterback keeper option, getting the Syrupmakers another 1st down at the 36-yard line. After a pass to KJ Spence on the next play, the Syrupmakers were on the board. The PAT was no good, leaving the Surupmakers trailing only 1-point behind the Bearcats.

Unfortunately, it would be the only touchdown the Syrupmakers would get all night.

Despite a run defense that was stifling, the Syrupmakers could not stop Georgia Southern commit Antavious Murphy or Phillips. They were able to hold Phillips to less than half of his rushing yards, but it wasn’t enough to keep him out of the end zone.

Phillips would score one in the air and one on the ground, while Murphy was on the receiving end of three of Quarterback Cam Sanders’ touchdown passes, finishing the night with 187 yards off of 9 receptions.

The Syrupmakers will now have to go to work as they prepare for the first round of State Playoffs against Troup County. The two will face off against each other in Cairo on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.

Cairo will have to make several adjustments to their starting lineup as Teal follows concussion protocol and starting senior offensive/defensive lineman Cade Puckett recovers from a knee injury he sustained in the game.