Toombs Dominates Dougherty

Courtesy of TCHS

Toombs County High School football opened their 2024 season at The Pit on Friday night, showcasing the immense talent on this year’s team. The Bulldogs scored early and often against the Dougherty Trojans, setting the tone for a strong season ahead.

The Bulldogs took control right from the start. Senior Mike Polke’s 31-yard kickoff return set up the opening drive at the Trojans’ 48-yard line. Senior quarterback TJ Stanley wasted no time, moving the Bulldogs down the field with ease and connecting with junior Hayden Roy for a 30-yard touchdown pass. Alex Otero added the extra point, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead just 51 seconds into the game.

The Red Bullet defense was dominant all night, stifling the Trojans’ offense and forcing a turnover on downs on their first drive. Stanley quickly capitalized, calling his own number on the next play and racing 69 yards to the end zone for another Bulldog touchdown.

The Bulldogs’ third drive was just as efficient. Stanley found junior Gavin Fletcher at the Trojan 1-yard line, where Fletcher made an incredible leaping catch over a defender. Sophomore Zaylan Davis punched it in from a yard out, extending the lead to 21-0 with five minutes remaining in the opening quarter.

Toombs County continued to dominate, adding two more touchdowns before the end of the first quarter. Stanley scored on an 11-yard run, and Davis added another touchdown, pushing the score to 35-0 at the end of the first quarter.

As the game progressed, the Bulldogs rotated in younger players, but the dominance continued. Alex Scott, Dabyn Wadley, and Donterrius Mincey each found the end zone, further extending the lead.

In the second quarter of the game, Dougherty got on the continued from page

board with just over eight minutes on the clock as they made the score 35-7. Dougherty scored one more time in the second quarter, but Toombs also added a touchdown as the game went to halftime with the Bulldogs on top, 42-14. Toombs added a touchdown in the third quarter and one more in the fourth on the way to a 55-14 victory over the Trojans.

The Red Bullet defense held the Trojans to just 93 total yards of offense. Wadley led the Bulldogs on the ground, rushing for 111 yards on just 11 carries. Stanley was 5-8 passing for 75 yards, and he also added 80 yards rushing in the game. Toombs spread the offense around well on the night.

Up next for the topranked Bulldogs is a road trip to Guyton to face the South Effingham Mustangs from Class 5A. Kickoff is this Friday night at 7:30 p.m.