Bethlehem Christian Academy needs to win Friday night and then get a little help to qualify for the state playoffs in their first full season of varsity play.
Neither task will be easy. The Knights will travel to Thomas Jefferson, a perennial region and state champion for the final regular season contest. BCA needs to win and then have John Hancock, who is winless in 2012, upset David Emanuel.
Both scenarios need to happen since David Emanuel has the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Knights. Thomas Jefferson has already clinched the Region 1-A title after defeating Curtis Baptist last week by a 54-0 score. The Jaguars are 7-3 overall and have scored more than 40 points in all seven wins. Thomas Jefferson has also posted totals of 62, 58, 54 and 49 in 2012.
“Thomas Jefferson will be a big test,” said BCA coach Don Garmon. “Before we went on the field last Friday, I talked with our team about character and how you respond. We took care of business against Nathanael Greene and now we’ll have to do that against a very good football team.”
Garmon said it’s clear Thomas Jefferson is a “well coached team.”
“You can see them line up in one defensive alignment one play and then see immediate adjustments,” Garmon said. “They are very sound in what they do. They have two very fast running backs. Their blocking is very sound. They like to pound the football down the field but they’ll also spread the field out of the shotgun formation. They have quality athletes but are also very disciplined.”
BCA will enter the game with a different lineup from early in the season. The Knights have had to contend with various injuries which has made it tough at times with their thin roster. Garmon said the team did well last week in responding to all roadblocks. The BCA coaching staff is attempting to find the best possible game plan for this week’s huge challenge.
“Thomas Jefferson is a good football team with a veteran coach, veteran team and a great scheme,” said Knights offensive coordinator Lance Fendley. “They have some of the fastest kids in the state of Georgia and they utilize them very well. They will play a four-man front with one high safety. They will play a lot of man coverage with some cover three wrinkled in. We will need to play very well on offense controlling the football and the clock and keep their offense off the field.”
