Lyons — The Toombs County Bulldogs wasted no time making a statement in their 2025 season opener, overwhelming Dooly County 42-0 Friday night at The Pit. From the opening drive to the final whistle, the Bulldogs controlled every phase of the game, showcasing a balanced offense and a stifling defense.

After Dooly won the coin toss and deferred, the Bulldogs marched 80 yards in just six plays. Junior quarterback Joseph Owens was sharp early, completing all three of his passes for 60 yards, including a 44-yard strike to senior Gavin Fletcher. Senior running back Justin Powell capped the drive with a 7-yard touchdown run, and kicker Alex Otero added the extra point for a quick 7-0 lead with 8:29 left in the first quarter.

The Red Bullet Defense immediately set the tone, forcing a three-and-out and pushing the Bobcats backward on their first possession. A mishandled punt snap gave Toombs the ball on the Dooly one-yard line, and senior Hayden Roy punched it in to make it 14-0 less than five minutes into the contest.

A weather delay of more than an hour briefly slowed the action, but Toombs came out of the break just as dominant. Powell scored twice more in the second quarter—on runs of four and eight yards—while Carter Branham added a highlight-reel blocked punt to keep the Bobcats pinned deep. Owens and Fletcher connected once again, this time on a 21-yard touchdown just before halftime, sending Toombs into the break with a commanding 35-0 advantage.

With a running clock in the second half, the Bulldogs continued to control the game. Senior Donterrius Mincey added an 8-yard touchdown run, and Otero stayed perfect on the night, hitting all six extra-point attempts to seal the 42-0 shutout.

The defense was equally impressive, holding Dooly County to negative yardage in the first half and never allowing the Bobcats to find any rhythm.

The Red Bullet Defense holds Dooly County to 3 First Downs and 34 yards of total offense. 

The Bulldogs (1-0) will hit the road next week to face Dougherty County in Albany. The Trojans (1-0) are coming off a 51-14 win over Central of Macon, but Toombs will look to repeat last year’s dominant 55-14 victory over the Trojans at The Pit.