The Northside Eagles (2-0) are preparing for the 67th meeting between the two teams with the Warner Robins Demons (1-1).
WARNER ROBINS, Ga. (41NBC/WMGT) – Rivalry week continues as the Northside Eagles prepare to take on the Warner Robins Demons on the 60th anniversary of the rivalry that dates back to 1964.
Second-year head coach Ben Bailey and the Eagles squad haven’t beaten the Demons since 2016, when they won three games in a row. Coach Bailey knows that with a larger crowd than any other in Middle Georgia, this game means more to the community and the kids involved in the rivalry.
Now they’re looking to improve their season record to 3-0 and avoid the same results as 2023, when the Eagles came up short at the end of the game in a 39-35 loss to Warner Robins. With experience in the rivalry from last season, Coach Bailey hopes to teach his players and coaches that even though this could be one of the biggest games in the country, the Eagles need to focus on doing the little things right and treating this matchup like it’s just another game.
“You know it’s a big game, but it’s like we talked about with the players. You don’t want the game to get you so pumped up that you can’t focus on what you’re doing,” coach Bailey said at Tuesday’s practice. “It’s a big rivalry, it’s potentially one of the biggest games in the nation, but you still have a job to do. The coaches are no different than the players. We want to be excited, we want to use that energy, but we also want to focus on our job and maintain that discipline. That’s what we talked about with the coaches and players.”
Coach Bailey also talked about last year’s game and how it compares to the current situation. He wants the team to learn from last season and expects his seniors to turn their adversity into leadership. “It’s very similar to last year. We’re up 2-0 going into this game and we basically won the game. (We) made a couple mistakes that we could control and ended up losing it. The guys are a little hungrier. This group is a group that has a lot of leadership in terms of the discipline that we show and they take it very seriously, what you expect from your seniors. So I’m looking forward to it. It should be a good game.”
Check out highlights from our Game of the Week and other games on Friday’s edition of The Endzone on 41NBC at 11 p.m. Don’t miss our Friday pregame coverage from “The Mac” on 41NBC at 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m.
