2015 High School Football Tour – Stop #11: Baldwyn

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BALDWYN, Miss. (WCBI) — In football terms, the Baldwyn Bearcats are a powerhouse in Mississippi.

Having made the playoffs every season since the year 2000, head coach Michael Gray hopes the Cats can return to the postseason this year, but it won’t be easy.

“We’re hoping to get to the level we’ve gotten to the last few years,” Gray said. “Inexperience is a key unfortunately since we lost 17 seniors last year so that’s a big hit to any 2A school.”

Gone are Laquintez Upshaw, Ozzie Price and Matthew Gates: big names that helped lead the Bearcats a season ago.

Baldwyn will be young this season but there’s plenty to like that’s returning including talented defenders Armontie Price and Jimmy Tyes. But coach Gray will look to his strength in the trenches.

“Hopefully our depth on the offensive and defensive lines will be what we look to,” Gray said. “We have experienced players coming back on both sides there and we have a good group of sophomores. They’re built alike with pretty good players so hopefully that will help us pull through.”

The goal remains trying to repeat the success from the 2008 Baldwyn team that won the school’s lone State Championship in football.

It’s a tall task to accomplish, so Coach Gray is keeping it simple with his team this upcoming season.

“First of all we have to compete,” Gray said. “We’re hoping to build on everything we do. We have inexperience returning but hopefully by the time August gets here when we start playing games, we’ll get reps and our experienced kids can cover up the inexperience.”

Baldwyn will start the season with three consecutive road games at Mooreville and at Kossuth with the Skunk Bowl at Booneville sandwiched in between the two on Friday, August 28th.