Friday night in The Pit lived up to every expectation, as #2 Toombs County and #5 Thomasville traded punches in a physical, four-quarter slugfest that felt more like a 12-round boxing match than a football game. In the end, Toombs County landed the knockout hit — a 57-yard touchdown run that sealed a gritty 24–19 victory.

The first quarter set the tone defensively, with both teams exchanging possession after possession. Thomasville had the only scoring chance early but missed a 42-yard field goal late in the opening frame.

Toombs struck first in the second quarter when senior running back Justin Powell powered in from seven yards out for the 7–0 lead. Thomasville answered by diving on a Toombs fumble in the end zone to even things at 7–7. Place kicker Alex Otero pushed the Bulldogs back ahead 10–7 with a 31-yard field goal just before halftime.

Thomasville took momentum coming out of the break, connecting on a 58-yard touchdown pass to grab a 13–10 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

But the final round belonged to Toombs.

With 9:27 to play, junior quarterback Joseph Owens zipped a perfectly placed 14-yard touchdown pass to senior Justice Wilds, reclaiming a 17–13 lead. Powell then delivered the decisive blow, a 57-yard scoring run that sent the home crowd into a frenzy and extended the lead to 24–13. Thomasville added a late touchdown, but the Red Bullet defense stood tall to secure the win.

Powell was unstoppable all night, carrying the offense with 37 carries for 232 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, senior leader Hayden Roy set the tone with 10 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and a sack, leading a unit that made crucial stops in the trenches when the game hung in the balance.

Final: Toombs County 24, Thomasville 19