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Thomasville’s Dakari Mitchell guards Greene County’s DeVante Smith during the second round of the Class AA playoffs Wednesday. Clint Thompson
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Tigers dump ’Dogs
THOMASVILLE — Thomasville’s championship run came to a screeching halt Wednesday night.
In the second round of the Class AA playoffs, Greene County upended the Region 1-AA champion Bulldogs to advance to the quarterfinal round.
The Bulldogs had their opportunities down the stretch. They missed six free throws in the fourth quarter. Thomasville also had a couple of looks at the basket in the waning moments but failed to tie.
“I think the missed free throws and the start at the beginning of the game really hurt us,” said Thomasville coach Ben Tillman, whose team fell behind 16-3 in the first quarter. “I think we came out a little tight like we did the other night. We couldn’t make the easy shots.”
Turnovers also hindered the Bulldogs. Thomasville threw errant passes and tried to force dribbles into Greene County’s defense early in the game.
“I think we were seeing things that weren’t there,” Tillman said. “We settled down a little bit in the second half.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way tonight.”
Thomasville eventually tied the score at 43 on the heels of a 16-2 run. Fred Holton keyed the Bulldogs’ comeback with a pair of 3-pointers. Willie Clayton sank 7-of-10 free throws in the third quarter as Thomasville surged ahead by four.
Instead of faltering, however, the Tigers responded. Gerald Dunn sank a couple of key 3-pointers n the fourth quarter as Greene County advanced to play Henry County on Saturday in Savannah.
“They never gave up,” Greene County coach James McKithen said. “They kept fighting right there at the end when we needed to. It would have been easy for us to blow that lead that we had and then just fall out and say, ‘It’s over with.’ They fought back.”
McKithen’s squad advanced despite missing 9-of-15 free throws in the final period.
“We normally shoot anywhere between 45 and 50 free throws a day,” McKithen said. “It just didn’t happen tonight.”
Clayton, the 1-AA player of the year, paced the Bulldogs with 21 points. Holton added 10 as Thomasville finished 22-5.
“There’s nothing about this season that I’m saddened about. This is our second year together,” Tillman said. “I’m real pleased with our kids. We’ve got a long way to go. Our maturation process just wasn’t there for us tonight.”
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THS, Central, Cairo attend Bainbridge camp
Footballs were flying all over the practice fields adjacent to Bainbridge High School Thursday afternoon.
Thomasville, Thomas County Central, Cairo, along with two schools from Alabama and Leon (Fla.) participated in a passing camp at Bainbridge. The three-hour long passing league drew rave reviews from those in attendance. -
Yellow Jackets making strides in passing leagues
Another summer day gone by, another passing session under Thomas County Central’s belt.
The Yellow Jackets hosted a 7-on-7 passing league with Lowndes Wednesday afternoon.
The two teams threw for almost two hours at Central practice field. With Central set to compete in its last passing league today in Bainbridge, head coach Bill Shaver likes the progression his team has made on offense and defense. -
Folsom galloping ahead
Horseback riding came natural for Landrie Folsom — so, too, has winning.
It’s only natural that a national championship is in the Thomasville resident’s future, right?
That’s the dream Folsom will carry with her this weekend when she participates in the Junior Hunter Finals and Hunterdon Cup Equitation to be held in Lexington, KY on Aug. 2-5. Folsom is excited about participating on the national stage but understands how tough the competition will be. -
Drew still undecided about collegiate future
Ray Drew is still undecided.
By all accounts, Thomas County Central fans will have to wait until Signing Day, 2011, to find out where the highly-recruited senior will play collegiate football.
Speaking five days before the start of fall practice, the Central senior gave no hints as to who his favorites were. He’d like to keep it that way. -
East has mixed feelings with Brookwood’s play in camp
The run-oriented Brookwood Warriors got an extensive look at their passing attack this week.
The Warriors attended a Fellowship of Christian Athletes passing camp at Georgia Southern, Monday-Wednesday. Brookwood competed in a passing league that included such schools as Cook, Irwin County, South Effingham and Long County. -
Cairo passing camp a success
Cairo’s eight-team football camp continues to be a passing success.
Thomas County Central, Bainbridge and Valdosta joined the Syrupmakers and four schools from Florida to compete in 7-on-7 drills Thursday morning. - Bombers to host tournament
- Little League set for another year
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YMCA swimmers qualify for state event
The Thomasville YMCA took 26 swimmers to Tifton on for the 2010 GRPA district swim meet. All qualified for the state championships in Tifton in two weeks.
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Haskins running wild
Nathan Haskins has lofty goals for his cross-country career.
Running in a marathon is next for the Thomasville native. - More Local Sports Headlines
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