Bulldogs Fall In 1st Round
The Toombs County High School Bulldogs football team ended their season in the first round of the GHSA State AA Playoffs on Saturday afternoon of last week. TCHS traveled to Macon to take on Northeast High and dropped the game 27-14 to the Raiders.
Northeast was moving the ball well about halfway through the first quarter, but a couple of penalties slowed them down. They completed a pass down to the 19-yard line for a first down, and pushed it to the 6-yard line with just 30 seconds to go in the opening quarter. The Raiders went for a pass into the back of the end zone, but it was incomplete on fourth down and they turned the ball over to Toombs at the 7-yard line.
Toombs had a few nice runs, but a penalty and a sack pushed them back to the 9-yard line. Toombs was struggling on offense as they had not managed to get a first down in the entire first quarter of the game. They had to punt the ball away and with a good return by Northeast they began at the TCHS 27-yard line.
Northeast quickly moved the ball to the TCHS 5-yard line, and they punched it in with 7:57 left in the first half for the first score of the game. They added the extra point to lead 7-0 over the Bulldogs.
On the ensuing kickoff Chandler Lynn had a good return all the way to the Northeast 40-yard line. On the first play through Lynn threw an interception all the way at the 15-yard line which was returned out to the 34.
Northeast moved across midfield, and hit a 22-yard pass to the 15-yard line. Just a few plays later the Raiders were in for a score with 2:50 left in the first half. Lynn blocked the extra point, but it was a 13-0 lead for Northeast.
Toombs tried to get something going on their next possession, but stalled at midfield and turned the ball over on downs with just 14 seconds to go. Northeast took a knee to end the half ahead 13-0.
Early in the second half of the game the Raiders added another touchdown to push their lead to 20-0 over Toombs.
Later in the third after a big defensive stop by the Bulldogs, Gavin Hall came in to quarterback and found Lynn over the middle down to the Raider 19. A penalty moved it to the 14-yard line, and then DJ Mincey went in for the touchdown with 4:34 left in the third period to put Toombs on the board. With the extra point by Julian Marin-Vital TCHS trailed 20-7.
On the ensuing kickoff the Raiders fumbled the kick at the 5-yard line. Wil continued from page
Watts scooped it op and went in for the touchdown. With the PAT by Marin-Vital, the Bulldogs were down 20-14 with 4:24 left in the third quarter.
On the last play of the third quarter the Raiders competed a 47-yard pass to move them inside the Toombs 20-yard line. Just a few plays into the fourth quarter Northeast was in the end zone again as they went ahead 27-14 with 11:14 to play in the game.
After Toombs had to punt the ball away, Logan Landrum came up with an interception and TCHS took over at the 44-yard line with 7:50 left in the game.
The teams exchanged punts over the next several possessions as the Bulldogs were not able to get anything else going on offense. Northeast held on to take the 27-14 win over Toombs to end the Bulldogs' season.
Toombs finishes the year with a 7-4 record. Toombs will be losing 12 seniors, but will have a good core group of players coming back next season.
