Bobcats learn lessons of Faith

Published 12:00 am Saturday, August 25, 2018

Goliath got beat in the Bible, but he scored 55 points and won big against Bogue Chitto Friday night.

The Region 7-2A Bobcats made the 165-mile trip down to Mobile, Alabama and took a beatdown at the hands of Faith Academy, a 1,700-student independent school that rates out as 5A in Alabama’s classification system. The Bobcats managed just six points, but their defense kept it close in the early minutes until some second-quarter miscues opened up the game for Faith.

“It was a good game there about midway in the second quarter, but they had a couple of big plays and kind of broke it open, and we just couldn’t answer back when we got the ball,” said Bogue Chitto coach Gareth Sartin. “Giving up big plays is what’s hurting us right now. We gotta go to work on tackling and making sure we’re where we’re supposed to be.”

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Sartin said the home-team Rams’ rush defense forced the Bobcats to go to the air, and Bogue Chitto’s passing game moved the ball well in the first half.

“We made some good plays. Just not enough of them,” he said.

The loss drops Bogue Chitto to 0-2 on the year following last week’s close, season-opening loss, 19-8, at McLaurin. The Bobcats face another bigger team — though not quite as big as Faith Academy — next week when the travel to Wesson to face the Region 8-3A Cobras.

Bogue Chitto won’t face a regional opponent until they host Loyd Star on Sept. 28. Sartin said games against big schools like Faith Academy are played in preparation for those late-season matchups.

“Early in the year, you want to play teams that challenge you,” he said. “That’s how you get better. We competed tonight — we just gave up some big plays. Whether you win or lose, you have to learn to put the wins and losses behind you. It doesn’t matter what happened last week, it matters what you do this week to get better.”

Sartin said the Bobcats’ offense showed some potential against the Rams, but needs to even out.

“We showed some flashes of what kind of offense we can be,” he said. “We just gotta get more consistent.”