THOMASVILLE – The defending Class AA soccer champions will have to wait a few weeks to continue defending their crown.

At this point, head coach Robert Peterson and his Thomasville Bulldogs just hope to see the field again following the suspension of all athletic events by the Georgia High School Association amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

“Everybody’s just in a waiting game to see what’s going to happen,” Peterson said. “You just accept it for what it is. We’ll regroup when we get back. The boys know they’ve got to stay in shape and everybody’s kind of on their own. It’s unprecedented, and we’ll try to figure it out when the time comes. 

“Right now, we’re just focused on staying healthy and following the guidelines set forth by the people who know more than we do.”

Thomasville is 7-2 and undefeated in Region 1-AA almost halfway through its regular season schedule. Peterson is confident his team will be ready to continue its season if and when they are able to do so. 

“It’s a pretty committed group, so I fully expect them to come back and be in shape,” he said. “They got together on their own out of season and they were conditioning and doing stuff away from me, because I can’t have any contact with them during the fall. They were off doing whatever it was they were doing on their own, and they came (into this season) in shape. I’m just assuming and anticipating they’re going to do the same thing.”

The Georgia High School Association’s Board of Trustees will meet April 2 electronically. While the COVID-19 situation is expected to be discussed, no votes are scheduled to be taken.

“We’re all in the same boat across the state,” Peterson said. “Basically everything is shut down. We just take it for what it is. Everybody’s disappointed that we’re not playing but I think there is the realization that there are things more important. It just helps to give you perspective.”