Bearden Bulldogs prepare for first round of playoffs

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The postseason begins this week for high school football, and several area teams have punched their ticket, including the 7-3 Bearden Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs are a battle-tested team with several signature wins over programs like Anderson County and Maryville.

In back-to-back seasons Bearden has found themselves in the playoffs and hosting for the first time since 2015.

Friday, they’ll go up against Dobyns-Bennett, the same program they defeated in the first round a season ago.

Coach Josh Jones said this will be a battle in the trenches.

”We’ll have to try and win the battle at the line of scrimmage, and hopefully our playmakers will be able to find some creases and make some plays through the air and give us a shot. Their O-Line is good - might be the strength of their team. They’re going to lean on them guys. They’re probably going to come in here and try to shorten the game and run it right at us if I’m guessing. I feel we’ll be up for the challenge. Our defensive staff will have a good plan and our kids will play hard. But we know we will have a tough contest in front of us on Friday night,” said Jones.

A season ago, this matchup was a low-scoring affair resulting in a 14-6 Bearden win. Senior wide receiver Branden Perkins believes this time, the Bulldogs will have greater success on offense.

“I feel like we just have a lot of talent all around the board and every position I feel like we have a lot of talent and a lot of depth. I think this year we will be able to score a little bit more. I feel like we’re a lot better team than last year. I feel like we’ll be good this year,” said Perkins.

The Bulldogs and Indians meet Friday at 7:00 p.m.

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