Mary Persons Looks for Region Redemption Against LaGrange
The Mary Persons Bulldogs (4-2, 2-2) aim for consistency and revenge in crucial Week 9 showdown against the LaGrange Grangers (6-1, 4-0) Friday night at Dan Pitts Stadium
FORSYTH, Georgia – (41NBC/WMGT) – The Mary Persons Bulldogs are back in the region spotlight as they host the LaGrange Grangers in a key Week 9 matchup that could shape the playoff picture in the GHSA Class 4A.
At 4-2 overall and 2-2 in region 2-AAA play, the Bulldogs are finding their rhythm under 14th-year head coach Brian Nelson after two narrow losses earlier this season, including a double-overtime, three-point defeat to Upson-Lee.
Nelson said the difference now is consistency, especially after a big region win over Trinity Christian last week at Dan Pitts Stadium.
“I felt good about where we were at last year, with all the struggles we had to deal with and all the adversity, from injuries to players being out to the whole fiasco in the middle of the year,” Nelson said. “It showed that we’re able to handle adversity and keep playing. We’ve really zeroed in on that, and I think our kids have had a unique ability to just keep playing regardless of circumstance or situation.”
That resiliency has carried into 2025. On offense, senior quarterback Mac Nelson, the coach’s son, is averaging nearly 150 passing yards per game through region play. His top target, wide receiver Levi McCoy, exploded last week for 240 total yards and three touchdowns from scrimmage.
In the backfield, CJ Banks has anchored the ground game, posting 250 yards and five touchdowns on just 20 carries over the last two weeks.
Defensively, Nelson says the Bulldogs have matured over the course of the season, leaning on veteran leadership while developing a young secondary.
“CJ Banks and Mason Stephens are playing a lot of football on both sides,” Nelson said. “CJ’s had a really, really good year. Mason’s a dynamic player with a big skill set. Defensively, we’ve grown and gotten better. Two seniors, Sam Harold and Josiah Knight, have stepped up and played really well. The D-line has a lot of seniors playing well, and the secondary is young but gaining valuable experience.”
While the Bulldogs have shown balance, their next test may be their toughest yet. LaGrange enters at 6–1, averaging more than 40 points per game over the past three weeks and remaining unbeaten in region play.
Nelson knows his team’s defense will need to rise to the challenge.
Off the field, he’s also taking in a special, and sometimes challenging season, coaching his son in what could be their final run together.
“It’s hard to be the coach’s son. But then add on to the fact that you’re the coach’s son and the quarterback — that’s hard in a small town,” Nelson said. “If the Georgia Bulldogs lose, it’s Gunner Stockton and Kirby Smart’s fault. If the Mary Persons Bulldogs lose, it’s Mac and Brian Nelson’s fault. We understand that. He’s done a great job of handling it, and that’s probably what I’m most proud about.”
Mary Persons fell to LaGrange 41–28 last season, but this time the Bulldogs are hungry for redemption. Friday’s matchup marks the seventh all-time meeting between the two programs, and Nelson said the plan is simple, stick to what they know and play Bulldog football.
The Bulldogs host the Grangers, looking for win number three, in the seventh all-time meeting of the two squads. Kickoff at Dan Pitts Stadium is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Catch highlights from this game, and others, during this week’s edition of The EndZone, only on 41NBC News at 11 p.m.
