B-HP looks to end first round drought

The good news for Belton-Honea Path fans this week is the Bears’ first-round playoff opponent, Eastside, reminds coach Wayne Green of Wren.

The Bears (8-2) knocked off Wren in Week 4, but it was a shootout, 42-34.

While the Eagles (6-4) appear to have had a roller coaster of a season, Green said the peaks were because of their pass-happy offense, and the valleys were because they yielded big plays on defense, and had a string of injuries and sickness.

So the 31-7 Week 3 loss to 1-9 Easley doesn’t look as bad at first glance, because quarterback Drake Thomason and several other key players were out, Green said.

“Some of that’s a little deceiving,” Green said of Eastside’s 6-4 record including losses to Greer, Greenville and J.L. Mann.

Thomason is a South Carolina baseball commitment, and led the Eagles to their best start since 2003, a year after going 1-9.

“He’s a real good player, strong runner, he is elusive, makes real good decisions with the football,” Green said. “They run it too, but it’s very obvious that they want to throw it.”

B-HP’s trying to snap a four-year drought in the first round of the playoffs. The Bears haven’t won a first round playoff game since 2004 when they beat Wade Hampton en route to a state championship.

The losing streak can be attributed to playing a good Clinton team last year, and making crucial mistakes late the previous two years after taking on a healthy-for-the-first-time A.C. Flora team in 2005.

“This is the best football team we’ve taken into the playoffs since 2004,” Green said, adding that the players are more excited about working hard than the last few years. “I feel much better about how this team is finishing the year than I have the past few years.”

Green also said he plans to use both quarterbacks this week, in junior Cody Spence and senior Nino Woolridge.