Class 2A Blog: Burke County picks up right where 2024 left off

Photo Credit -Larry Smith

The defending 2A state runner-up, the Burke County Bears, are looking like the same team that made that magical run last season. Standing at 4-1, the Bears sit with the exact same record they had last year but may be even more impressive.

In Week One, the Bears beat Richmond Academy. While the defense struggled a bit, giving up 35 points, the offense put up 46, more than last year against a much-improved Musketeers team. Week Two saw a 44-0 victory over Cross Creek. While Cross Creek is not a particularly good team in 2025, the 44-point victory is still impressive. The third game of the year was the team’s only loss up to this point; against 4A power Benedictine, Burke County lost 41-0. In Game Four, the Bears bounced back, defeating Warren County 31-6. Last week, they defeated one of the best coaches in the state, Daniel Williams, in his first season with Northside-Warner Robins. While the Eagles have struggled to win games this season, they have been competitive in every game, with Burke County’s 28-14 victory being the team’s biggest loss of the season.

The biggest area of growth for Burke County this season is the passing attack. Quarterback Sean Vandiver, while only throwing for 350 yards, has completed 80 percent of his passes. In the rushing game, five players are over 100 yards. Altogether, the team has rushed for more than 900 yards and 16 touchdowns.

The team is, by far, a ground-based offense. As a team, the Bears run the ball on over 70 percent of plays. So far, they have run the ball 162 times and thrown it only 44 times. While this can be an odd offense for teams in the top classifications, it is more common in the lower classifications and is the same system many state title contenders in the smaller classifications run.

‍