Bulldogs happy to be home this week
Nov. 23—THOMASVILLE — For the Thomasville Bulldogs, there's no place like home for the Class AA state playoffs.
Because it also means not making a six-hour-long bus ride Friday.
Instead, what is being looked at as one of the best matchups in the state will take place at Veterans Memorial Coliseum when Rabun County and superstar quarterback Gunner Stockton visit for an 8 p.m. kickoff.
"We're excited about the opportunity to go play against a young man of his caliber," said Bulldogs coach Zach Grage. "We've got to a do a great job. I think it's going to be strength on strength."
The Bulldogs defense is coming off a dominating performance against Heard County, forcing four turnovers. It is allowing just over 14 points per game.
Stockton, long regarded as the top quarterback prospect in the state, has lived up to the billing. He threw for 444 yards and three scores as Rabun County hammered Jeff Davis in the second round.
Stockton, a Georgia commit, has thrown for 3,974 yards this year alone. He's thrown 53 TD passes — and he's been intercepted just once.
Over his career, he's thrown for 13,492 yards and 175 TDs.
While quarterback Shannen White threw four touchdown passes in the Bulldogs' win over Heard County, Thomasville has relied on its running game. Malik Harper and Ricky Fulton have combined for more than 1,800 yards and 25 TDs.
Thomasville's defense has recorded 13 interceptions and 48 sacks.
Behind Stockton, the Wildcats are averaging nearly 51 points per game. Their only loss was a 22-13 setback to Jefferson in the season opener. Since then, only Pierce County, one of AAA's top teams, has come within 30 points of them, in a 28-21 Rabun win.
Rabun County and Thomasville played in the state playoffs two years ago, and Stockton accounted for 327 yards passing and 107 rushing in the Bulldogs' 38-24 win.
Stockton threw for 302 yards — and ran for another 154 — in a 63-14 rout of Pace Academy two weeks ago.
But Grage wants his team to focus on what it does best in getting ready to play Rabun and Stockton.
"We have to do a good job of focusing on us and not let this game take away from anything that we're doing," he said. "We're going to continue to focus on Thomasville."
