Bearcats look to close season on high note

Pilot Point is out of the playoffs, but the Bearcats still have a lot to play for in Friday night’s season finale at Farmersville, head coach Rob Best says.

“We have a chance to finish the season with a 7-3 record,” Best said. “We can finish tied for fourth (in district), but we will miss the playoffs due to the tie-breaker.

“We want to put a positive spin on a disappointing season.”

To do that, the Bearcats will need to find a way to stop Farmersville’s Caleb Twyford, who has rushed for more than 1,200 yards on the season. He has rushed for 20 touchdowns, thrown for two and caught two touchdown passes.

“He is an outstanding athlete,” Best said. “They use him in much the same way we use DaCoven (Bailey). He is very good with the ball in his hands.

The Bearcats will try to swarm the ball and gang tackle, according to Best.

“Our job is to try to find [Twyford],” Best said. “We have to know where he is on every play. It’s nothing magical. It’s just assignment football. Everyone needs to do their job.” Most of all, Best said the Bearcats need to step it up in the second half.

“For some reason, we have been falling off a little bit in the second half,” he said. “It will be very important for us to get off to a good start in the first half. We have to find that rhythm again in the second half. We need to be more consistent and productive in the second half.”

More than anything, Best said the Bearcats need to finish the season on a good note. Pilot Point has lost three of its last four games, all in district play, after sweeping its five non-district games. Farmersville has a similar season, losing all four of its district games after going 4-1 in non-district.

“We want to have a positive frame of mind as we head into the off season,” Best said. “So yes, to us coaches and our players, it’s an important game.”