THOMASVILLE – The Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets will begin their playoff run this Friday as they take on Winder-Barrow in the first round of the state playoffs. It marks what the Yellow Jackets hope will be back-to-back state titles.

The Doggs of Winder-Barrow come into this game on a two-game losing streak but ended the season 5-4 with good wins over Loganville, Alcove, and East Jackson.

This game is not being looked at as a serious test for Central. Just like last years 49-0 stomping of St. Pius in the first round, Thomas County is expected to roll over the Doggs. Central’s defensive line, however, may be tested against Winder-Barrow’s junior running back Demetrius Dowdy. Dowdy is leading the Doggs’ effective run game with an average of 156 rushing yards per game. He leads Winder-Barrow in total touchdowns with 17. He isn’t very active in the passing game but did show some threat against Jackson County. Dowdy caught two passes for 138 yards and a TD in that game. Winder-Barrow’s run game is deadly. As a team, they have rushed for over 2,000 yards this season and 22 TDs. They’ve rushed for over 400 yards twice this season and had five or more touchdowns in a game twice.

The question is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable wall? Thomas County Central’s run defense has not been as dominant as last season, but it has still been fierce. Central has allowed over 200 rushing yards in a game just once this season in their single loss to Lee County. Three times this season the Yellow Jackets defense has held teams to under 100 yards on the ground.

Winder-Barrow also features a solid passing game that demands Central’s attention. Senior quarterback Camden Hodge has totaled 15 passing touchdowns on an average of 226.3 passing yards per game this season. Hodge has thrown for over 300 yards twice this season, once in a loss to East Forsyth and again in a win over Alcovy.

It is important to note that, while Winder-Barrow’s offense is dynamic and impressive, they seem to have a we can score more than you mentality. Only twice this season have the Doggs held a team to under 20 points. In their four losses, they allowed at least 20. Their scoring differential in their five wins is 15.4 and they give up an average of 27.8 points per game. Meanwhile, the only game that Central has lost this season has been the one game they scored less than 27.8 points. In every other contest, the Jackets scored 38 points or more and they are averaging 49.7 points per game.

Winder-Barrow’s offense may have gotten them this far, but their lack of defensive prowess will likely see them bounced in the first round in Thomas County.

The Yellow Jackets and the Doggs will face off this Friday in the Jackets Nest. The game is slated for 7:30 p.m.