Bulldog Soccer Into 2nd Round
Courtesy of TCHS
On Thursday night of last week, the Toombs County High School soccer teams hosted a doubleheader in the first round of the GHSA State Tournament. While hosting playoff matches has become familiar territory for the boys' program, this was the girls’ first home playoff appearance since their 2021 firstround victory.
Girls vs. Temple
In the girls’ match against Temple, the Lady Dawgs jumped out to a strong start in the first half. Emerson Powell opened the scoring with a well-placed goal, followed shortly after by senior Maritza Zamorano— recently back from a foot injury—who fired a shot into the back of the net. Just before halftime, Powell struck again to give Toombs a commanding 3-0 lead at the break. In the second half, Temple was awarded a penalty kick and converted it for their lone goal. Senior Aniston Powell answered with a goal off a corner kick to extend the lead to 4-1, sealing the Lady Dawgs’ victory.
“I am proud of the way the girls played,” said Coach Jeremy Moore. “I told them I felt like we hadn’t played to our potential for most of the season, but tonight felt like the most complete 80 minutes we’ve put together.”
Boys vs. Jefferson
In the boys’ match, Toombs faced Jefferson County and took control early, leading 3-0 at halftime. The Bulldogs then erupted for five goals in the first 13 minutes of the second half to put the match out of reach. Jefferson County scored a late goal, but with many younger players now on the field, Toombs added two more goals to close out a dominant 10-1 victory.
Goal scorers were: Angel Morales (2), Miguel Granados, Alejandro Tinoco, Roberto Itzep, Tucker Brodnax, Juan Luna, Aaron Tinoco, Victor Valentin, and Jericho Latoy.
“It was a good performance from our boys all around,” said Coach Moore. “We scored 10 goals and had nine different players find the back of the net. We took control early and were able to rest some guys in the second half in preparation for the next round. At this point in the season, healthy bodies and fresh legs are as important as anything, and that’s key for us right now.”
The Lady Dawgs will travel to face Thomasville on Thursday, while the Bulldogs will head to Lamar County on Friday for second-round action.
