Bulldogs Make It Back To Final 4

The Toombs County High School Bulldog basketball team made it back to the Final 4 for the second year in a row. Last season was the first time they had ever reached that milestone, and they went on to play for the State Championship. This year it took a bit for the team to gel, but they found their stride near the end of the season, and it showed as they won the Region Championship and made it to the Final 4.

In the Elite 8 the Bulldogs faced off with their archrival, the Vidalia Indians, and came out as a winner to advance to the Final 4. In the Final 4, Toombs matched up with the #2 ranked Patriots of Southwest Macon, who came into the Final 4 with a record of 26-2. The Bulldogs played them very well, holding the lead at halftime. But in the second half, Southwest clawed their way back and pulled away down the stretch in the fourth quarter to end the Bulldogs season. vs. Vidalia What a game it was between archrivals in the GHSA Elite 8! It was a backand- forth game with the Bulldogs taking the win over the Indians.

Toombs got on the board first, but a couple of baskets put the Indians on top 4-2 with six minutes on the clock. VHS pushed the lead to 9-6, but a three from Toombs tied the game at 9-9. With 3:30 left in the first, the Indians were back in front 11-9.

Toombs took the lead back, 15-14, with less than a minute to go in the first, and that was the score when the buzzer sounded.

With six minutes left in the half, the Bulldogs led 20-14. VHS got a shot to go, and then they closed it to 22-20 with 3:10 to play. Neither team got much to fall over continued from page

the remainder of the first half with the Bulldogs holding a 26-22 lead at halftime.

In the third period, the Indians outscored the Bulldogs 11-5 as they took a 33-31 lead into the fourth quarter. But in the fourth, the score was tied 35-35 with 5:45 left in the game. TCHS took the lead back, but a three gave the Indians a 38-37 lead.

With 2:30 left, the game was tied at 38-38, but with just two minutes left to play, the score was 41-40 with Toombs on top. VHS took the lead back and was up 43-41 with less than a minute to play, but a three-pointer from the Amari Eason gave Toombs a 44-43 lead with just 30 seconds left. VHS tried, but they couldn’t get anything to fall as TCHS added a pair of free throws down the stretch as the Bulldogs took the win, 4643. vs. Southwest

In the game, Southwest jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but a big threepointer from Gavin Fletcher closed it to 4-3. Southwest added a three to lead 7-3, and then extended that lead to 9-3. A three from Mike Polke made it 9-6, but another three from the Patriots pushed the lead out to 126.

Tucker Braddey drilled a three to make it 12-9, and a put back from Parker Stanley brought Toombs closer at 12-11. Stanley added a free throw to tie the game at 12-12.

Toombs took their first lead of the game on a floater by Polke with 2:12 left in the first, 14-12. Southwest tied it back up with just over a minute on the clock. Toombs took the lead back on a pair of free throws by Fletcher, 16-14, with only 45 seconds to play in the first, and that was the score when the first came to an end.

Early in the second, Stanley hit a tough shot in the paint to give TCHS an 18-14 lead. A three-pointer from the corner for Cornelius Bullard put the Bulldogs up 21-14 with seven minutes left in the half, and then a runner by Polke pushed the lead to 23-14 with six minutes on the clock.

After a turnover, Polke added another basket as the Bulldogs were in front, 23-14, with 5:48 left in the half, and that forced a timeout from Southwest. Toombs extended the lead to 25-14. Another basket from Polke put TCHS up 27-14 with 4:20 left in the half as it looked like they were taking control of the game.

Southwest finally got a shot to fall with four minutes to go, and then another closed the lead back to 27-18. A three-pointer brought the Toombs lead back to 27-22 with 1:38 left in the half. Bullard added a three for Toombs to make it 30-22 with 45 seconds to play. But a pair of free throws just as the half came to an end made the score 30-24 heading into the locker rooms.

In the third, Bullard pushed the lead to 34-25 with a couple of baskets, but they answered and it was 34-30 with 5:15 to play in the third. Another basket with 4:30 to go close the lead to 34-32 as Toombs was trying to hold on. The score was 35-34 with 2:25 left with Toombs now up by just one. Polke hit a pair of free throws to make it 37-34, but a controversial call ended up giving Southwest a threepoint play as they tied the game at 37-37 with 2:08 left in the third quarter.

Toombs was back in front 40-39, but as the third was coming to an end, a three-pointer gave the Patriots a 42-40 lead heading to the fourth period.

Southwest extended that lead to 44-40, but a basket by Maurice Oglesby made it 44-42. With 6:25 on the clock, Southwest had extended their lead to 49-43. It was 52-43 with six minutes to go, but Eason added three free throws to close the lead back to 52-46.

With just over four minutes to go in the game, Southwest was in front 5546, but Flecher and then Stanely made it 55-50. Polke made it 55-52 with 3:47 to play. But a basket and a three from the Patriots put them in front 60-52 with 1:40 left in the contest.

At this point, Toombs was fighting to keep up with Southwest, but they just didn't have quite the firepower. Southwest extended the lead to 62-52 with one minute to go. Bullard added a basket, but that was all the Bulldogs could do as Southwest took the win, 65-54.

The Bulldogs were led by Polke with 19 points with Bullard adding 9 in the loss. Toombs finished the season with an unremarkable 18-12 record, but they clicked in the last few weeks as they made their run to the Final 4.