THOMASVILLE — Following a surprising run to the Class AA state final last season, there is only one mission left for the Thomasville Bulldogs — a state title.

With an experienced roster returning from the state playoff run, including South Alabama signees Ladarius Hall and Jamar Moore, the Bulldogs are primed to gain the goal that eluded them in Macon last March. However, the road to a title won’t be easy. Not with realignment bringing basketball power Randolph-Clay into Region 1-AA and not without the leadership and toughness provided by departed point guard Traveon Davis.

Still, Thomasville has more than enough weapons to be back in the final in March.

“We hope that we can work hard and get back there,” Thomasville coach Tyrone Kellogg said. “But nothing is guaranteed. So if we don’t put in the hard work, then you can forget it.”

However, for the Bulldogs to realize their potential and match the success of the 2005 model, the talent needs the toughness to match. With the start of the season just around the corner, Kellogg said there is still no Bulldog stepping up as a defensive stopper.

“We don’t have that, yet,” he said. “We’re trying to motivate some guys and motivate some guys who haven’t played yet. Just find anybody that can play that role.

“We have some people that may be able to put the ball in the basket, but we’ve got to defend. Take the state championship game. You score 84 points in a high school basketball game, you should win the game.”

That role fell to Davis last year. While Davis didn’t put up the gaudy numbers like All-State performers Hall and Moore, he was the engine that guided the Bulldogs machine through the state playoffs. To Kellogg, there was no doubt who was the indispensable cog.

“Everything that you needed — that leader, that tough-nosed kid, that person that would do anything that needed to be done,” Kellogg said of what Davis provided last year. “We have to find that person and, right now, we don’t have that person.

“I said it last year, when Traveon had a bad game, we had a bad game. You could take 30 from Ladarius and 30 from Jamar and 30 from Kelvin, but if Traveon didn’t play good, we didn’t do well.”

While replacing Davis won’t be easy, Thomasville has several options in doing so. Senior Kelvin Brown started alongside Davis last season and could slide over to the point this year. If not, junior Kendrick Dixon or sophomore Dakari Mitchell may man the spot once football season ends. The 6-foot-5 Moore will even get time there when Thomasville wants to go with a big lineup.

“Kelvin and Ken will be the guys that are playing point,” Kellogg said. “We have some guys we can play there and I think they’ll do a good job. But to get back where we were last year, we have to have someone do the job Traveon did or better.”

No matter who is at the point, finding someone to score should be easy. Hall is a two-time region player of the year and Moore added a potent punch off the bench for Thomasville last year. In addition to the Jaguar signees, Thomasville also has senior wingman Ty Scott, junior forward Dunnell Webb and senior forward Mike Reddick who are more than capable of leading the way.

“Dunnell is a big-time player and Mike, since he didn’t play football, he probably gained another 30 pounds, so he’s even bigger now,” Kellogg said laughing. “The best thing with Dunnell is he’s going to go hard. I think now he’s beginning to realize that every day he comes, he has come ready. If he does that, just to add him and him be better than what we have, that would be a tremendous help. But, I would say that last year’s team is probably 10 times better than this year’s team right now.”

With Scott joining Brown, Hall and Moore as multi-dimensional threats, the Bulldogs also have the luxury of matching up with opponents with ease. It also may lead to a shorter rotation this year than the 10-man one Kellogg used last year.

“That’s a luxury that we do have,” Kellogg said. “We have six or seven guys that can play anywhere on the court. With those guys being very versatile, that helps you by not having to find that one kid who can do this or do that. All of the guys can put the ball on the floor, they can all shoot the basketball and they’re all getting better defensively.”

The Bulldogs may need that improvement, too, in order to finish the drive to the state title. One thing is for certain to Kellogg, a title will require hard work.

“I told them from this summer on that we didn’t accomplish anything last year,” he said. “We finished behind Dublin just like everybody in the state. So, if it’s going to mean something to you, you can do like Dublin did and go work hard and go back and get it.

“There’s always going to be someone out there working harder, so if you don’t take care of your business, you can get knocked off.”