Jamie Wachter
THOMASVILLE — Thomasville has a chance to host a Class AA playoff opener.
Still, the Bulldogs are more concerned with being ready for the postseason than getting that first-round home game with a win Friday night against No. 8 Fitzgerald in the Region 1 finale.
With the Bulldogs (5-4) and Purple Hurricane (8-1) posting matching 5-1 region marks, the winner Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium earns the region’s second seed (behind undefeated Brooks County) and starts the postseason at home.
While Thomasville coach Richie Marsh admits that would be a nice boost, it’s not the Bulldogs’ biggest concern.
“It’s awesome to play in the playoffs in front of your home fans, in your home stadium,” he said. “So, the opportunity to be in that situation is great. But then again, I don’t want to lose sight of that we’ve talked all year that the tournament begins next week.”
With that in mind, though, Marsh did admit it would be beneficial for Thomasville to play well against Fitzgerald. With the playoffs to follow next week, the Bulldogs are hoping to carry the momentum of its current five-game winning streak into the postseason.
“There are a lot of things we need to improve on this week in order to be ready next week,” Marsh said, adding that Thomasville has received a confidence boost since region play began, particularly on offense. “That’s there our focus lies.
“I think our kids feel it, too. Offensively, they’re starting to make some big plays on offense. Outside of the (Thomas County) Central game — we started out with them strong, but outside of that game, we really haven’t been consistent with them, but we’re starting to get more consistent with the big play on offense. Defensively, I think they’re starting to understand what we’re trying to do, they’re understanding a little bit better than they did early in the season. So, it’s just so important that all three phases of the game are ready to go that first round.”
