Clint Thompson
THOMASVILLE — Preparation for the Thomasville Bulldogs’ 29th game of the season today went just like all 28 before — a time for practice, relaxation and film study.
It just so happens today’s game is for the Class AA title.
A day after his team throttled Jefferson in a semifinal game, coach Ben Tillman and his squad stayed in Macon on Friday readying for today’s championship clash with Greater Atlanta Christian. With all the excitement and anticipation for the title game the Bulldogs experienced, Tillman tried to keep Friday as normal as possible.
“If we were at home, the kids would be at home resting and enjoying their family. It just happens to be here in Macon enjoying their basketball family,” Tillman said.
The Bulldogs are trying to win the first boys basketball state title in school history. They are not content with just playing in today’s game, either.
“If you saw (Thursday) night, while Willie (Clayton) was jumping up and down, being so excited about winning that game, you also saw Fred Holton with a very calm face on like, ‘Willie, we’ve got one more game,’” added Tillman. “That’s what we need. Those guys are really stepping in, Charles (Hayes) and Fred, with that kind of leadership to keep us calm and under control. That’s exactly what we need.”
The Bulldogs will need their “A” game today against the Spartans. Greater Atlanta Christian has won 31 games, including 21 straight. During their two-month long winning streak, the Spartans have won every game by at least 18 points. Greater Atlanta Christian defeated Laney Thursday night 81-56 to advance to today’s title game.
“They’re supposed to be pretty good. All I can say is we’ll find out how good we are and how good they are,” Tillman said. “They’re big just like we are, good guard play. We’re almost mirror (images) of each other. I think their guards might be a little older than ours.
“When I look at the mirror and see them, I see us. It’s just going to be a real good ball game (tonight).”
This is Greater Atlanta Christian’s second straight trip to the Final Four. It lost to Dublin in the semifinal round a year ago. For the Bulldogs, though, they are in the title game for the first time since 2006. Tillman is confident his team will not be in awe of its surroundings.
“If you saw (Thursday), being in the coliseum had no effect on the way we played,” Tillman said. “We focus on defense. That’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to continue to focus on defense.
“The kids that are sophomores are actually juniors now. They’ve played enough basketball where they’re not sophomores. They understand what’s going on.”
