Royals ready to rumble against rivals
The Bleckley County Royals (1-0) are ready for battle with their old rival and new region opponent Dodge County
COCHRAN, Georgia – (41NBC/WMGT) – The Bleckley County Royals are coming off a 31-0 shutout of Rutland Saturday in their season opener. It would be their only non region opponent of the season. In week two, the Royals open up A-II Division One Region play against their old rivals, and new region opponent, the Dodge County Indians.
Eighth year head coach Von Lassiter is looking to build off the success of the last few seasons, including the 2021 3-AA Region Championship and the 2023 2-A Division One Championship as he takes on a very familiar opponent.
“Yeah, there’s none bigger than this,” Coach Lassiter said at Monday afternoon’s practice. “They’re 18 miles down the road from us. They are much, much improved. Coach [Phillip] Brown has done a phenomenal job this summer, but it’s a big game. It’s a big game for both of us and it means more now because it’s a region game. We’re going to have to play really, really well. I think our guys will. Our guys are looking forward to it. We’re going to have to go back to fundamentals. Block, tackle and make plays when they come our way. We do that, we are going to be okay. If not, then we will be in a dog fight because that’s a really, really good football team over there.”
The Royals have won five straight against the Indians. However, it wasn’t always like this. Dodge County leads the all-time series 32-16, including five straight wins from 2014-2018, the last two coming in Coach Lassiter’s first two seasons at Bleckley County.
“There’s always pressure in this game,” Lassiter said. “The one’s of us that grew up in this town, we always wanted to beat those guys. We wanted to be able to play great against those guys. So that pressure is there regardless of what the records are, what the record was, and how many times we won in a row. That stuff didn’t matter because there was a time we had to climb out of it, so we are focused and ready to play.”
To put even more pressure on the situation, this will be the first time these two rivals face off as region opponents since they were both in Region 3-A in 2021. Now, behind the veteran leadership of senior quarterback Kam’ryn Everett, the Royals are ready to rumble against their rivals in our Game of the Week on The End Zone.
“We know its going to be tough,” Everett said at Monday’s practice. “It’s tough every year. It’s always close in these types of matchups, but like I said, perseverance. Push through. Fourth quarter, who’s going to be the bigger man? Who’s going to want it more? But we want it more, obviously.”
Check out all the pregame action live from Cochran Friday on 41NBC News at 5, 5:30, and 6 p.m. Catch highlights from this game, and others, on Friday’s edition of The End Zone during 41NBC News at 11.
