Bleckley County, Dublin Clash for Region Crown Hopes in Week 10 Showdown

The Royals (6-1, 5-1) ride five-game win streak into rivalry clash with the Fighting Irish (5-2, 5-1) as the region title race heats up

COCHRAN, Georgia – (41NBC/WMGT) – The Bleckley County Royals have found their stride at the right time. With five straight wins and a 6-1 overall record, the Royals enter Week 10 tied atop the Region 2-A Division I standings, and preparing for one of their biggest challenges yet against the Dublin Fighting Irish.

Royals hitting their stride under Lassiter

Head coach Von Lassiter, fresh off his 101st career victory, said this team’s success is a direct result of the work ethic his players and coaches bring every day.

“It validates the kids’ hard work,” Lassiter said. “These kids come every day, and they work and they do what they’re supposed to do, and they’re good kids, they’re good people, and so they deserve to win. Their coaches pour a lot into them. I kept telling them the whole week, it’s going to be a heavyweight knockout fight, and we were thankful and blessed to win the game, but it’s going to be that way again this week, and then again after that. So it’s just where we are as a program. We have to be able to sustain that every week.”

The Royals’ offense has been rolling, averaging nearly 40 points per game behind junior quarterback Brody Fleming, cousin of former Georgia Bulldog standout Jake Fromm. Fleming has thrown for 1,400 yards and 18 touchdowns with just four interceptions, ranking fourth among all Class A Division I quarterbacks for passing yards.

Senior wide receiver Octavius Tate Jr. leads the team with 424 receiving yards, 14th-best in the classification, while senior Joshua Stanley has been just as valuable on both sides of the ball, second on the team in receiving yards and leading the defense with six interceptions, including two against Northeast in Week 8.

Defense tightening up before playoffs

The Royals’ defense has allowed just 14 points per game this season thanks to a mix of veteran leadership and rising young talent.

Sophomore linebacker Landry Nobles leads the team with 60 tackles, and sophomore defensive end Willy Walters has leads the team with seven sacks in seven games. Senior outside linebacker Terrollieo Brimidge, with three sacks himself this season, said their early loss to Dodge County in Week 2, taught the team a valuable lesson to not get too high or too low after a game.

“Alright, so this is going to sound like real weird, but I hate that we lost to our rivals, but I’m glad it happened early on,” Brimidge said. “We experienced the hurt and the loss, it was like, we don’t want to feel this no more. This upcoming game means a lot to a lot of us, especially the seniors, and then setting the tone for the freshmen to say, ‘hey, we can do this. This is not an unbeatable team’. It’s gonna be a downhill football game.”

Preparing for Dublin’s Wing-T challenge

Brimidge said the Royals have been focused this week on preparing for Dublin’s signature Wing-T offense, a scheme that has frustrated the Royals in the past.

“Wing-T is probably one of the hardest offenses we have played,” he said. “I remember the first day just had us completely like, what? What are we looking at? Then, we learned from it, from right then and there, we can’t be standing in the backfield. You got to read your key. You don’t read your key? It’s going to be a long night.”

Lassiter said that mastering Dublin’s offensive pace and precision in practice has been critical.

“We haven’t seen the Wing-T offense since preseason against Hawkinsville,” Lassiter said. “So Wing-T’s a different animal, and it’s got to be just right. We’re working in practice on scout teams, trying to get the look right, all those little, big things that are really important this week. To see the speed of the offense and be able to adapt to it. It’s not scout team anymore, we kick off on Friday night. Those guys have some really good players. We know a lot of people there. We spend a lot of time over there. You know, it’s a big-time rivalry for us. They’ve got two of the best offensive line coaches around here, and so they’re really good up front. We’re expecting that to be a big-time battle.”

Brimidge agreed, saying the Royals are ready for what’s coming.

“Okay, we’re hungry for it. They’re hungry for it, and it’s gonna be a battle in the trenches, and it’s who wants it more,” Brimidge said. “And to be honest, I mean, I like war in the trenches, and I know my guys are ready, and I know they are too. So Friday night should be a dog fight, but it’s gonna be a fun dog fight.”

Region title implications on the line

Dublin has won seven of the last eight meetings in this rivalry, entering Friday’s matchup. With the region crown and playoff seeding on the line, Lassiter’s Royals will look to keep their winning streak alive, and perhaps finally turn the tide, to pick up win number three in this 20th all time rivalry region game.

Kickoff between Bleckley County (6-1) and Dublin (5-2) is set for Friday at 7:30 p.m. Catch highlights from this game of the week, along with several other games, on The End Zone, on Friday night during 41NBC News at 11 p.m. Tune into pregame coverage live from The Shamrock Bowl during 41NBC News at 5, 5:30, and 6 p.m.