1 of 2

In a nail-biting showdown on Friday night, Cook County High School defeated Bainbridge High School by a final score of 13-10. The game was hard fought and decided in the final minute.

Bainbridge’s defense set the tone early, stifling Cook County’s offense with back-to-back three-and-outs on the Hornets’ first two possessions. This early dominance by the defense kept the Bearcats within striking distance despite their own offensive woes. Bainbridge’s offense managed just 53 yards in the first half and finished the game with a modest 157 yards. Their inability to score on third down attempts — just 2 of 11 attempts — hampered their efforts to sustain the offense and create scoring opportunities, especially early in the game.

Cook County scored the game’s first points in the second quarter when they broke the deadlock with a 54-yard touchdown run to take a 6-0 lead, but their attempt at an extra point was unsuccessful.

The third quarter saw a turnaround when Bainbridge’s Vontrey Willingham caught a 43-yard pass from Camryn Scott to give the Bearcats a 7-6 lead. In the fourth quarter, Bainbridge completed a 14-play, 80-yard drive that was capped by a 45-yard field goal by Riggs Rentz that extended the Bearcats’ lead to 10-6.

Unfortunately, the Hornets responded with a long drive of their own that ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass, giving them a 13-10 lead with 38 seconds left in the game.

Cook County’s last-minute heroics secured the win, but Bainbridge suffered a bitter defeat despite a good defensive effort. The Bearcats’ early offensive struggles and inability to sustain attacks ultimately proved costly.