Ricardo Johnson makes a one-handed snag of an 11-yard touchdown pass in Thomasville's rout of Everglades.

THOMASVILLE — The Thomasville Bulldogs will carry a surge of momentum into their off week.

Despite some anxious moments early in the third quarter, the Bulldogs cruised past the Everglades (Fla.) Gators 52-13 Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The win was the first win on the season for the Bulldogs, now 1-3.

“One thing I talked about all week with the kids is our juice has to help us make big plays,” Bulldogs coach Zach Grage said. “We can’t have big plays create our juice as far as our sidelines go.”

Up comfortably 28-0 at the half, the Bulldogs had their lead sliced nearly in half in barely 90 seconds to start the third quarter.

Blake Belus took the second half kickoff and raced 95 yards through the Bulldogs coverage for a score. On Thomasville’s second play from scrimmage, Tyler Jones scooped up a fumble and raced 34 yards to the Bulldogs 15. 

That led to Edric McDade’s 16-yard TD pass to Samuel Harry with 10:15 to play in the third.

“It was never to the point where, ‘oh, here we go again,’” Grage said. “It was ‘let’s go back on track.’ We needed a little bit of success.”

But the Bulldogs reasserted themselves forom there.

“The first quarter went as well as you could have scripted it,” Grage said. “The third quarter was as bad as you could script it. But it was a chance for the kids to have some adversity and do things right. They are starting to hold each other a little more accountable. I think it was better to have that lull than to have a straight blowout. They know they didn’t play a perfect game.”

Malik Harper’s 35-yard kickoff return led to Hurston Waldrep’s 23-yard field goal. 

Ricky Fulton’s 9-yard run stretched the lead to 38-13 with 1:08 to go in the third.

Thomasville, which never punted in the game, got a 50-yard strike from Robert Baker to Ricardo Johnson and Johnson’s one-handed highlight reel grab for an 11-yard score ended that series. 

Johnson finished with 115 yards on six receptions.

“That was part of our plan,” Grage said. “We were going to feed Rico and we were going to feed our backs and see what we’ve got.”

Sharman O’Neal’s 10-yard closed the scoring.

Thomasville jumped in front 21-0 in less than seven minutes. 

Jashawun Thornton scored from 3 yards out on the opening possession and after a bad punt snap, Baker ran in from 3 yards out on the next play. He scored on a 36-yard run on the next series.

Harper added a 12-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

The Bulldogs finished with 437 yards of offense, running for 232 yards. Baker was 14-of-24 passing for 205 yards.

Thomasville is off until the Bulldogs meet Cook on September 27.