Football Game Preview: Burke County Bears vs. Thomson Bulldogs + How To Watch

The Burke County Bears will head out on the road to take on the Thomson Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Thomson will be up against a hot Burke County squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. The Bears' defense stepped up to hand Glenn Hills a 49-0 shutout on Friday. That 49 point margin sets a new team best for the Bears this season.

Burke County got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Landen Wright out in front who picked up 34 receiving yards and one score, and also punched in one TD on the ground. Another rusher making a difference was Markeece Lloyd, who rushed for 51 yards and one touchdown.

Burke County was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 228 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 159 rushing yards in three consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter and that's exactly how it played out for Thomson on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that they blew Laney out of the water with a 35-0 final score. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Wildcats recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.

Thomson's win came from a few key players Burke County will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Markevion Jones, who rushed for 128 yards on only five carries, and also threw for 144 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 71.4% of his passes. Those 128 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Thomson also got help from Jaris Sinkfield, who showed off his sure hands for 91 receiving yards.

The victory got Thomson back to even at 3-3. As for Burke County, their record is now 5-1.

Burke County beat Thomson 49-42 in their previous matchup back in November of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bears since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.