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to gain traction. Northeast finally found the end zone on a 6-yard touchdown run, but Roy came through once again, blocking his second kick of the game to keep the Bulldogs ahead 24-18 heading into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter of the game, the Bulldogs added two more touchdowns. The first came on a 12-yard run by Powell with 5:21 left to play. Otero added the PAT to give the Bulldogs a 31-18 lead. At that point Toombs began to feel the Championship in their grasp.
The final score of the game came on a 28-yard run by Stanley with 1:04 left in the game. Otero added the extra point to give the Bulldogs a 38-18 lead. Toombs held and took the win by that score to earn their first State Championship.
Stanley went 14-23 in the game for 217 yards and 2 touchdowns. He added 83 yards on the ground. Hayden Roy led the way on defense with 10 total tackles and 1 tackle for loss. With the final whistle, the Bulldogs celebrated a 38-18 win and the program’s first-ever state championship. The victory was a testament to the team’s grit, talent, and determination, guided by Head Coach Buddy Martin and his staff.
The Toombs County faithful, who packed the stands throughout the season, were once again a driving force, creating a home-field atmosphere in Atlanta.
Congratulations to the Bulldogs on their historic achievement, and to the Toombs County community for their unwavering support. This is more than a championship-it's a leg acy for the ages.
Coach Martin added, “This is a special group of young men. I am proud to be their coach. And what a community we have, they came out to support us in every way, all season long. We have the best community support and we are just blessed to have them behind us.
“Northeast was a really good football team, they did a great job changing things up, and we had trouble with them. There were some time that things didn’t bounce our way, but man, none of our guys hung their heads, they just kept fighting, and it worked out for us.”
Game MVP Mike Polke said, “We were ready for this. Everyone was hyped and we just kept pushing all through the game. My teammates all played their hearts out. We kept that 0-0 mind set throughout the game, that kept us fighting. Our coaches did such a great job this year, from practices during the hurricane, to getting us ready for this. And our community always shows out, I love our community.
TJ Stanley stated, “What a season, and to finish off like we did with the Championship, just a moment none of us will ever forget. These guys gave it everything they had, through all of the adversity, every play, and here we are, State Champions.
“I have to thank my teammates, the coaches, and our community. To everyone that came out all season long, we just love the support that we get.”
