ADEL – There is another huge rivalry game going on this week in south Georgia and though it’s not the Winnersville Classic, it will have post-season implications.
In a big 1-AA battle, the Cook Hornets (4-2, 2-2) will play host to the Brooks County Trojans (2-5, 2-3) this Friday with kick-off set for 7:30 p.m.
“Our kids are right next door, not cross-town rivals, but it’s always been a good series,” said Brooks head coach Ryan Branch on Monday.
“It’s a good rivalry. Our kids are tough and they’ll battle.”
The Cook-Brooks game has a long history, but in recent years the Hornets have dominated. Cook has won five of the past six meetings with the Trojans’ only win coming in 2005.
“It’s a big rivalry game and homecoming game for us, which is a mistake,” said Coach Scroggins. “Usually you try to schedule a weaker opponent for homecoming, but Brooks may be one of the toughest games on our schedule.”
“I wish we weren’t playing them for homecoming because we’ll have to guard our players from all the distractions this week.”
The two teams faced off in a rare pre-season battle between rivals in August and the Hornets controlled most of the game between the varsity squads.
“They have improved a lot since the first time we saw them,” said Scroggins. “It’s very hard to beat a team twice in one year.”
“They weren’t as ready as us then, but they sure look a lot better now.”
This season the Hornets are off to a good start under new head coach Jim Scroggins. After falling to Thomasville 28-0, Cook bounced back last week with a 35-12 win over Albany.
In their win they scored their third highest point total of the season while allowing the second fewest points. Cook now sits in fourth place in 1-AA and owns the tie-breaker against Randolph Clay who is also 2-2 in the region.
“We’re just going to try and execute those things we’ve been doing all season,” said Coach Scroggins. “We’re a wing-t team and Brooks is a team that runs an offense very similar to Thomasville, who we had trouble with two weeks ago.”
“They have really gotten better and better from the film we’ve seen and they’re very fast.”
The Trojans are coming off a tough 35-14 loss to Early County last Friday that stopped a two-game winning streak.
It was Brooks’ least points scored since a 20-6 week 2 loss to Americus-Sumter. It was their most points given up all season long.
“We just want to get better this week and the kids are ready to play,” said Branch.
Brooks now sits in sixth place in the region at 2-3, and needs to win out to reach the post-season.
“This game means something for us, it’s the first of three we need to win to go to the play-offs, but we’re feeling good,” said Branch.
It will be a big game again this year for the two schools, but that’s nothing new for the Trojans and Hornets. Over the past seven years the game has repeatedly been of the season’s best.
2006 – Cook 27, Brooks 20
It was the Hornets second closest game of the season as they held off a scrappy Brooks team. Cook lost in the first round of the play-offs to a revenge seeking Dublin team, while the Trojans missed out.
2005 – Brooks 9, Cook 0
In a year where both teams were dominating during the regular season the Trojans handed the Hornets their only shut-out of the year. Cook took the region Championship though, while Brooks finished second.
2004 – Cook 17, Brooks 14
In their closest win of the season the Hornets won their first 1-AA region match-up with Brooks. In the Trojans’ four losses they were held to 14 points or less, in their wins they scored 26 or more points.
2003 – Cook 43, Brooks 8
In their last region 2-AA match-up the Hornets (11-2) dominated the season and the Trojans (8-3-1). It was the Trojans’ worst loss of the season.
2002 – Cook 30, Brooks 21
It was a tough year for each team as the Hornets finished 6-5 and fell to Vidalia 20-7 in the first round of the play-offs. Brooks went 5-5 and missed the post-season.
2001 – Cook 35, Brooks 8
It was supposed to be the Hornets’ year to win it all, but despite being 12-0 they fell to eventual State Champ Americus-Sumter in the semi-finals, 35-28. The Trojans also felt the pain of Americus, falling in the first round of the play-offs, 55-0.
So with the big game this Friday in Adel, and the other one in Valdosta the question arises on which one will be the better rivalry game.
“Definitely Cook and Brooks, there’s no doubt in my mind,” said Branch.
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