Bulldogs Are Region Champions
Courtesy of TCHS
In front of a standing-room-only crowd at Booster Stadium on Friday night, the #2-ranked Toombs County Bulldogs football team left no doubt about their standing among the state’s elite, dismantling the #5-ranked Savannah Christian Raiders 52–24 to claim the Region 3 Championship.
Early on, it looked like Savannah Christian might spoil the Bulldogs’ senior night celebration. The Raiders opened the game with a steady nine-play, 56-yard drive capped by a 40-yard field goal to take a 3–0 lead. After a defensive stop, the Raiders caught a break when a punt struck a Toombs player, setting them up deep in Bulldog territory. Three plays later, quarterback Blaise Thomas found daylight for a 32-yard touchdown run to make it 10–0 at the end of the first quarter.
But from there, it was all Toombs County.
Behind a bruising ground game led by senior Justin Powell, the Bulldogs exploded for 24 unanswered points in the second quarter. Powell’s physical running helped set up junior quarterback Joseph Owens, who connected with senior wideout Justice Wilds on a 3-yard play-action touchdown pass to get the Bulldogs on the board. Senior kicker Alex Otero followed with a 31-yard field goal to tie the game at 10–10.
Moments later, Powell ripped through the Raider defense for a 50-yard touchdown run to give Toombs its first lead at 17–10. Then, with under a minute remaining in the half, Owens hit senior Gavin Fletcher for a 31-yard score to send the Bulldogs into halftime up 24–10.
Toombs wasted no time extending its dominance after the break. Brandon Stevens returned the opening kickoff 85 yards to the Raider 1-yard line, setting up another Powell touchdown plunge that made it 31–10. Savannah Christian briefly closed the gap with a 39-yard touchdown pass, but Powell answered again with a 45-yard burst to push the lead to 38–17.
The Raiders managed one more score on a short run early in the fourth quarter, but their comeback hopes were continued from page
crushed when Slade Mc-Donald scooped up an onside kick and sprinted 52 yards for a Bulldog touchdown. Junior Donterrius Mincey capped off the scoring with a 32-yard touchdown run, sealing the emphatic 52–24 victory.
Powell finished his night with 177 rushing yards, three touchdowns, and two sacks on defense. Defensively, Alex Scott anchored the unit with 12 total tackles, while Hayden Roy added seven tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack.
With the win, Toombs County improves to 9-1, 4-0 in the Region and secures the Region Championship. The Bulldogs will take a well-earned bye this week before opening the postseason at home on November 14. Next Friday, November 14, the Bulldogs will play their first round game at home against the Temple Tigers.
The #2 ranked Bulldogs pulled a tough bracket in the playoffs with 3 other of the top 10 teams in their corner, including #4 Northeast Macon, #5 Thomasville, and #7 Swainsboro. Toombs will have to make it through the gauntlet for a shot at back-to-back State Championships.
