Mary Persons heads to Lamar County for another rivalry game

The Mary Persons Bulldogs already have played two high-intensity rivalry games this season, so a third one shouldn’t bother them one bit.

The Bulldogs have knocked off rivals Jackson and Washington County to open the season and face Lamar County on Friday in Barnesville. The Trojans enter the game at 1-1 after losing to Howard and beating Pike County.

“We just look at it as another challenge and another opportunity for us to get better,” Mary Persons head coach Brian Nelson said. “Our schedule is not easy, and Lamar will be no different. They have a really good team, but it’s just a different challenge for our team.”

Last year’s game between the Bulldogs and Trojans was one of the most hotly contested games in Middle Georgia. It ended up with the Bulldogs winning 29-27 in a game stopped early by lightning.

“The way we look at it, or at least I do, is it’s a different year, and a lot of the guys that are playing for us this year didn’t even play much in that game,” Nelson said. “So it’s a new chance for them to play in this game.”

Still, it is another rivalry game for the Bulldogs despite the record in the series. The two teams have played 34 times with Mary Persons winning 30. Lamar County’s most recent win in the series came in 2006.

“Because the geography and the fact that we’re so close, it’s a natural rivalry,” Nelson said. “We have played them a lot, and with people in Monroe County working with people in Lamar County and being close to people there, it’s a big deal for the two communities.”

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 10:52 PM with the headline "Mary Persons heads to Lamar County for another rivalry game ."