The Grace Christian Academy Cougars in Bainbridge haven’t been kind to the CCA Patriots the last two years. In 2023, the Cougars defeated the Patriots by about three touchdowns. Last year, Grace defeated CCA 8-0 in Douglas.
This season, the Patriots had their revenge. CCA bested Grace 44-6 on a soggy, rain-soaked night in Bainbridge. The Patriots established their dominance early and controlled the game on both sides of the ball and on special teams.
Quarterback Sam Ables got CCA on the board early in the first quarter with a goal-line sneak for a touchdown. Ethan Duran made the extra point for a 7-0 lead. After stopping the Cougars on downs, Dalton Rogers ran into the end zone for the Patriots’ second score of the game. Once again Duran’s foot was true for a 14-0 advantage. Late in the first quarter, Rogers scored again. This time, the Patriots went for two; Bo Roberts made it in for a 22-0 CCA lead. In the second quarter, Jonah Hall returned a Cougars’ punt 55 yards for a touchdown. Another Duran point-after gave the Patriots a very comfortable 29-0 lead before halftime.
CCA scored two more times in the second half – a touchdown and two-point conversion from Roberts and another touchdown from Tyson Crosby. The score by Crosby (and extra point from Duran) put the Patriots up 44-6.
CCA played well defensively; Hall picked off two Cougar passes while Luke Russ grabbed another interception. Russ returned his pick for a score but it came back on a penalty. The Patriots would eventually score as a result of the turnover.
The Patriots are playing a region schedule for the first time since they’ve brought football back to campus. They’re about to begin a three-week gauntlet of a home stand that will see them play some very good teams. Next week, CCA will welcome the Georgia Christian Generals (Valdosta) to Patriot field for a 7:30 contest.