THOMASVILLE —
The task doesn’t get easier for Thomas County Central’s defense.
A night after his team defeated Thomasville 20-17, Central head coach Bill Shaver was in Moultrie on Saturday to watch South Panola, Miss. play Colquitt County, Central’s next opponent. What Shaver witnessed was a Packers offense that was very impressive in a 65-35 defeat against one of the top teams in the country.
“We were sitting beside some South Panola folks and said, ‘You all don’t normally give up this many points do you?’ They said, ‘Oh no.’ They said, ‘We don’t generally see passing attacks like this,’” Shaver said.
Central only allowed two touchdowns to Thomasville but did surrender 163 rushing yards to Jeffery Dyson. The Yellow Jackets will face a much different offensive attack with the Packers.
“That’s the thing where our defense has got a big change in going from the run-oriented Thomasville and the run-oriented us that we played against all preseason to somebody that shotguns it every time and spreads you out,” Shaver noted.
“They’re scary on offense. When you put up 35 against South Panola, you’ve got a pretty good offense.”
FOURTH-DOWN MISSES: Central struggled on fourth down Friday night against Thomasville. Shaver and the Yellow Jackets went for it on fourth down three times and did not convert a first down.
Central’s first miss came on its second possession. Facing a fourth-and-one from its own 26-yard line, Central chose to go for it instead of punting. Curtis Brooks was stuffed, however, and the Yellow Jackets gave up the ball on downs.
“The first one was probably a dumb call by me,” Shaver said. “I had it in the back of my mind and coach (Bill) Wilhelm said let’s go for it.
“Now, the other two, if I had to do them over, I’d do them again.”
Central’s other two misses came on plays at the Thomasville 47-yard line and 16-yard line.
THE RIGHT CHOICE: Highly-touted freshman Adam Choice had a sensational start to his varsity career at Central.
Choice opened the game with a 62-yard kickoff return that brought the Yellow Jackets faithful to its feet.
“Adam started off his career with a bang,” Shaver said. “We tried to get the ball to him a couple of times on offense but missed a couple of blocks there and he couldn’t get sprung loose again.”
The long return set up Central’s first touchdown of the game, a 29-yard score by quarterback Eric Dodson.
Shaver would like to give Choice, who is the backup quarterback, more touches as the season goes along.
“We’re going to try to get him the ball some. That’s just another threat, being able to run it. The more threats you can have the better,” Shaver said.
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