Bulloch Academy has had Pajama Day, Flashback Day, Hillbilly Day and Happy Birthday to BA during Homecoming activities this week.
    “It’s great that we can do things like this,” BA head football coach Ronnie Hodges said as he watched and laughed at the musical skits performed by the high-school students which celebrated the 40th anniversary of the founding of the school. “But now it’s time to strap it on, and let me tell you, we’d better strap it on tight.”
    The Gators (3-1 overall and 1-1 in Region 1-AAA) host the third-ranked Westfield School in a tough early-season region battle.
    The Hornets (2-1, 1-0) blasted region foe Trinity Christian School 55-19 last Friday night. Westfield opened the season with a 15-9 win over arch-rival Tattnall Square but then lost to Edmund Burke Academy 19-10.
    “The loss to Edmund Burke was because they had lost their focus,” said Hodges. “They were coming off a big win over rival Tattnall Square and they were flat.”
    Westfield got back on track with the thumping of region foe Trinity. And, they have had a week off to rest and prepare to try and make the Gators’ Homecoming a gloomy one.
    “They are much better than Deerfield,” said Hodges, recalling Bulloch’s 27-6 loss to the Knights in Albany last week. “I think they are better up front than Deerfield but they don’t have the same caliber of skill people.”
    Hornets’ head coach Ronnie Jones is the GISA guru of the Wing-T offense and Hodges says that the Gator defense will experience the best Wing-T offense that they will ever
see.
    “We will have to play assignment football,” said Hodges. “Everybody will have a job to do and they cannot be chasing the misdirection in the backfield.”
    Quarterback Evan McWilliams heads the Hornets and is the most versatile player on the field. Fullback Clay Bridges has deceptive speed and hits the hole quick. Wingback Asa Coody is a good runner, receiver and blocks well downfield. Jordan Minor, a 245-pound senior offensive lineman, leads the way.
    “They are all good football players,” said Hodges.
The Gator defense suffered a major blow last week with the loss of leading tackler Zach Sapp. The sophomore linebacker tore his ACL and is out for the remainder of the season with surgery scheduled in a couple of weeks. He leads the BA defense with 21 individual tackles, 12 assists, four tackles for loss and a recovered fumble.
    Senior linebacker Dillan Finch has 16 solo stops, 19 assists, two fumble recoveries, a quarterback sack and a pass breakup. Other defensive leaders are junior defensive back Bailey Smith (14, 8), senior defensive lineman Codi Johnson (13, 6) and junior defensive end Jarret Humphries (11, 11).
    According to Hodges, Westfield runs a four-man front on defense and “they are big enough to handle it.”
“A team has to be pretty good to run a four-man front,” he said. “They are much bigger on defense than they are on offense. They will keep you entertained while the linebackers run wild.”
    BA’s offense was held to under 200 total yards last week. Quarterback Loy Waters rushed for 59 yards, including a 12-yard score, and hit 6-of-13 passing for 71 yards.
    Junior Harrison Averitt is the leading ground gainer with 481 yards and six touchdowns on 46 carries. Senior Chris Young also has six TDs but 261 yards on 41 carries. Senior Jaylen Evans is next with 193 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. He also is Bulloch’s leading receiver with five catches for 84 yards.