Lyons, GA – August 13, 2023 | Matt Lynn

Toombs County Bulldogs Impress in Preseason Showdown Against Reigning Champs, Benedictine Cadets

On Friday night, the Toombs County Bulldogs took to the road to take on back to back, class AAAA State Champions, the Benedictine Cadets, in a highly-anticipated preseason clash. An unexpected lightning delay set the game back by two hours.

Once the weather cleared, the JV teams for both schools faced off, with the Cadets JV taking a 7-0 lead after a quarter. The spotlight then shifted to the varsity squads, who battled fiercely for two quarters. The Bulldog offense showcased their dynamic mix of passing and running plays, as junior QB TJ Stanley consistently delivered accurate throws. Equally commendable was the Bulldog defense, which effectively neutralized Luke Kromanhoak, the #3 ranked QB nationally for the 2024 class and a Florida State commit. Their “Red Bullet Defense” proved to be a thorn in Kromanhoak’s side throughout the evening.

The Bulldogs also made waves on special teams. Placekicker Braylan Dietrich astounded with two exceptional field goals, measuring 49 and 25 yards respectively.

The Varsity scrimmage concluded with a nail-biting score of 14-13 in favor of Benedictine. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs’ robust performance paints an optimistic picture for the upcoming season. Their 2023 regular-season campaign kicks off this Friday at Long County High School—a rematch of last season’s game in which Toombs triumphed with a decisive 21-0 victory.