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After missing out a season ago, the Pike County Bulldogs return to the Class 3A Regionals on Saturday evening to take on Pike Road at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery.

For the first time in about four years the Pike County Bulldogs failed to advance to the round of 16. Because of that the Bulldogs are eager to get started and prove they belong among the best teams in the state.

“Leading up to the game they are really working hard,” head coach Doug Holland said. “I think not making it to regions kind of left a bitter taste in our mouth. Being in Montgomery adds even more excitement to it. We are ready to play.”

The Bulldogs finished the season as Class 3A Area 4 champions after going a perfect 6-0. They carried over that momentum with an area championship last week.

“It’s been a season of highs and lows,” Holland said. “Losing and then remaining focused has been the thing that I have liked. Seeing people refocus has been really exciting. With the schedule we had, making regionals speaks high of you. Being one of 16 teams left speaks highly.”

Andres Burney ended the season leading the team in scoring, but lately Burney has had plenty of help. Whether it’s been Amaghie Lampley or Omar Cumberbatch, the Bulldogs are getting quality play up and down their roster.

“That’s been key for us the last couple of weeks,” Holland said. “There has been a lot of different people. Omar, Amaghie an more importantly we had a lot of players from our B-team come up and stepped up a lot. I have been proud of them for coming in and not feeling the pressure at all to perform.”

When the Bulldogs last played in the regionals in 2018 it was in the Dothan Civic Center. With games no longer being played in Dothan, the games have shifted to Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery.

“It’s different when your playing in a coliseum after playing in a gym,” Holland said. “Some of them haven’t been on  a stage like that. It’s going to be exciting to see how they respond. Being in Montgomery, there are going to be a lot of teams from our area. We are looking forward to the challenge.”

Pike Road is coming off a 78-38 win over Randolph County in the sub-regionals. They are coming off an Area 5 championship this season.

“I had a chance to watch them on film today,” Holland said. “They’re athletic. They play a lot of different people. It’s going to be a fast-paced game. They do a lot of things well. They are a well-coached team. Looking forward to seeing how we compete against them.”

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.