Bulldogs Dominate Rivalry Matchup
The second-ranked Toombs County Bulldogs left no doubt Friday night, rolling past rival Vidalia in dominant fashion, 56–16, at Buck Cravey Fie ld.
The Toombs County Bulldogs, who are now 8–1 overall and 3–0 in region play, controlled the game nearly from start to f inish, relying on a potent offense and spectacular special teams play. The game began with immediate excitement. Toombs’ defense forced a turnover on the second play of the game, which senior running back Justin Powell quickly converted into points, capping offthedrivewitha2- yardrushing touchdown. Kicker Alex Otero’s successf ul PAT put the Bulldogs up 7–0. Vidalia briefly seized the momentum when their defense intercepted a pass and Andre Jackson returned it for a 'Pick-6' touchdown. A successful 2-point conversion rush gave the Indians their only lead of the night, 8–7, withabout8minutesleftinthef irst quar ter.
The lead was fleeting. On the ensuing kickoff, sophomore Nick Carroll electrified the home crowd by returning the ball 84 yards to the Vidalia 1- yard line. Powell wasted no time, punching it in on the next snap for his second touchdown, and Otero’s PAT reclaimed the lead for Toombs, 14–8. Later in the first quarter, Zay Walton capped a 10-play, 75- yard drive with a 2- yard touchdown run late continued from page
in the first quarter, stretching the margin to 21–8 after another successful Otero PAT.
The second quarter belonged entirely to the Bulldogs' ground game and passing attack. Powell added a 26-yard rushing touchdown, and Carroll powered in a 5-yard rushing score. Just before halftime, junior quarterback Joseph Owens connected with Carroll for a 21-yard scoring pass, sending Toombs into the break with a commanding 42–8 advantage.
With a running clock for the majority of the second half, the game’s final scores came largely from special teams heroics. Junior Alex Scott returned a punt 49 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.
Vidalia did add another touchdown and 2-point conversion, making the score 49-16.
Toombs added another score when senior Gavin Fletcher sealed the rout with an electric 88yard kickoff return for the touchdown. The final score was 56–16 following Otero’s final PAT, giving him 8 successful conversions on the night.
The dominant win sets the stage for a massive showdown this Friday at The Pit against Savannah Christian for the Region 3 Championship. After winning the Region title in 2023, but taking second to Savannah last season, the Bulldogs now have a chance to finish the job again and bring the Championship back to Lyons.
Expect The Pit to be standing room only. Kickoff against Savannah Christian is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
