Bainbridge High School Bearcats head football coach, Ed Pilcher, is flanked by his grandsons Kaylon Harrell, left, and Van Harrell who will be playing for the Early County High School Bobcats when they play the Bearcats Friday night in Blakely. Friday night's football game between the Bainbridge High School Bearcats and Early County High School Bobcats at Blakely's Standifer Stadium will be a family affair for the Pilcher family of Bainbridge and the Harrell family of Blakely.

Kaylon Harrell, the junior starting center for the Bobcats, and his freshman tight end and linebacker brother, Van, are the sons of Chelle and Tracy Harrell of Blakely and the grandsons of Bearcats head coach Ed Pilcher and his wife Lorraine.

Mrs. Harrell, while admitting it will be kind of an awkward situation, says she, her husband and the boys are excited about Friday night's encounter.

"I love my dad, but I've got to root for my boys Friday night," she said. "When they were young, they were with him on the sidelines when his Thomas County Central teams were in the playoffs at the Georgia Dome."

She said Bearcats offensive coordinator Leonard Guyton, who played for and coached for her dad at Central, is also very special to the boys.

Mrs. Harrell said her dad, coach Guyton and several other Bearcats coaches were in Blakely last Thursday night to scout the Bobcats preseason scrimmage against Terrell County that ended in a 7-7 tie.

Coach Pilcher said he told his grandsons, when they visited with him Monday night, that he hopes they have a great game.

"After Friday night, I'll be rooting for Early County," coach Pilcher said. "I hope they win the rest of their games this season."

Joe Crine is sports editor for the Bainbridge Post- Searchlight.