The Houston County Bears kept their momentum rolling Friday night at Freedom Field, using a strong fourth quarter to pull away from Coffee County for a 45–21 region victory.
The game opened with an early miscue by the Bears as Coffee County blocked a punt and capitalized with the game’s first score. Houston County quickly settled in, responding with a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter — Austin Stinson broke the ice with a short scoring run, and Ryan Maxwell found MJ Mathis for another touchdown to put the Bears in front.
Coffee County answered with a big play of their own as Kentavious DeBruce broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run, tying the game at 14–14 after one quarter.
The second quarter saw both offenses continue to trade blows. Maxwell connected with Jordan Perkins for a touchdown to give Houston County the lead again, but Coffee County countered with a Tyler Dowling-to-Tresean Smith touchdown pass. Before halftime, Maxwell and the Bears struck once more, sending Houston County to the locker room with a 28–21 lead at the break.
The third quarter turned into a defensive battle filled with punts and a fumble recovery, as both teams struggled to find offensive rhythm.
Early in the fourth quarter, Harrison Ludwig extended the Bears’ lead with a 20-yard field goal. From there, Houston County took complete control. Mathis found the end zone again on a 20-yard pass from Maxwell, and Weston Ard capped off the night with a powerful two-yard touchdown run to seal the 45–21 victory.
With the win, the Bears remain perfect for the season. Perfection will meet perfection next weekend in Thomasville as the Bears will travel to face undefeated Thomas County Central. Houston wraps up the regular season with another region foe, Lee County, on October 31st.
