Heading into the final week of the regular season, the Bears are aiming for a strong finish to the campaign Thursday in Decatur against East Central.
 
The Bears (3-5, 2-3 MACCC South) are coming off of a thrilling 26-23 win Saturday over Jones on Homecoming while East Central fell at Co-Lin 28-3 on Thursday.
 
While the Bears are still riding high from their win, they will have limited time to prepare for the Warriors who have been getting ready since late last week.
 
East Central presents a pass-heavy offense led by quarterback Brady Hammonds who is fourth in the conference in yards per game with 194.1. While Terry Patton Jr is the top pass catcher for Hammonds, not far behind is running back Tyler Arrington as the latter has only eight fewer catches than the former.
 
While Arrington shines in the pass game from the backfield, fellow running back Malachi Mickel leads the rush game for the Warriors with 179 yards and two touchdowns on 42 carries.
 
The Bears continue to find success with their run game which shined against the Bobcats. Led by Chris Hunter's 29 carries for 180 yards and three touchdowns, Southwest was able to move the ball efficiently on the ground.
 
Through the air, quarterback Silas Corder was also efficient, throwing for 169 yards. He also spread the ball around, connecting with six different receivers.
 
Once again BJ Mitchell was key for the Bear defense, leading the way with 11 tackles as he maintains his spot near the top in the conference in the category.
 
The Bears and the Warriors kick off Thursday at 6:30 p.m. from Bailey Stadium.