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Local Sports

Local sports in the Panhandle are not just a game, they are a lifestyle. Our community eats, sleeps and breathes cheering on our local athletes.
News13 is On Your “Sidelines” bringing you more than the score.
News13’s Stephen Gunter is committed to giving you stories of the Panhandle’s top athletes, intriguing match-ups and unusual sports you may not even know exist.
sgunter@wmbb.com

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Bay-Rutherford Football Preview

PANAMA CITY-Only a few miles separate Bay High from Rutherford High, but on Friday night, only sidelines will be between the two teams.

This game marks a match up that goes forty-four years back. The first game was played back in 1963.

“It’s going to be fun playing against them. It’s always good.  It’s like a little rivalry going.  So we’re trying to have fun with it,” said bay running back Jordan Byas.

A rivalry is what it’s called; Bay High and Rutherford have been knocking heads for many years now.

Both teams know the past is the past and the only game that matters is this one.

“It’ll be a big game, a good stepping point for our kids,” said Rutherford head coach Greg Rivers.

“We’re going to do our best,” said Byas.  “Hope for the best.  It’s football.  Anything can happen.”

In the last two seasons, Rutherford has won only three games, but beat Bay 27-26 in this year’s preseason game.

“They run very hard, number 5 and 15 and they’re looking for a breakout game and we’re going to try to let it be someone else and not us,” said Bay head coach Mike Healey.

“If everybody does their assignments, we can stop them. All you have to do is stop Byas before he gets started. Once he gets started he’s gone,” said Rutherford lineman David Hate.

But Byas says Bay is not a one dimensional team.

“We got Khyri [Thornton] to power through and got me for speed,” said Byas.

“Their big fullback Thornton, you can’t hand tackle him, you have to gang tackle to get him down,” Rivers said.

“Get them to commit to the run because we have a good passing game.  We did good with that in the spring,” Byas stated.

The game might be about X’s and O’s, but in reality, it has a deep impact in the long run for both programs.

“If we pull out a victory this game, I think it will turn around the entire season,” said Hate.

Friday night’s game is scheduled to kick off at 7p.m. at Tommy Oliver Stadium.

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