THOMASVILLE – The Thomasville Bulldogs will have their hands full as they travel just over three hours to Dublin, GA to take on the Irish. It’s round three of the GHSA state playoffs with a trip to the semifinals on the line.

“It’s going to be a heavy-weight matchup. It’s two really good football teams, two programs that are storied in the state of Georgia,” said Thomasville head coach Jonathan DeLay. “Coach Roger Holmes does a great job over there, he’s been there for a long time and they’ve got a very good team.”

This will be Thomasville’s toughest test of the season. Dublin is undefeated in their 2024 campaign and has shown a very dangerous scoring prowess. They’ve outscored playoff opponents in two games 105-13, have scored 50 or more six times, and have scored 60 or more three times this year.

Watch out for senior Xavier Bostic, who is listed as a full-back and middle linebacker. Bostic has 19 rushing touchdowns and averages 100.4 rushing yards per game. QB Micah O’neal contributes to the run game as well with 17 rushing TDs and Senior Willie Batts has 14.

The Irish secondary is also impressive. Senior Sirius Tobridge has five interceptions on the season, Dajhan Woodard has four, and Bostic has two INTs. 

None of this bothers DeLay as he expressed a desire to play the best.

“I’m excited about getting to play them. You want to play the best teams in the state. People will ask me, well didn’t you want to be a higher seed, now you have to play Dublin. No,” DeLay said. “At some point, you have to play the great teams and I feel like it’s two great teams playing a game on Friday and we’re going to go over there and do everything we can to be 1-0.”

This week will look a bit different for Thomasville, but it’s nothing they haven’t prepared for. It’s Thanksgiving break, and for any other high schooler that means a week off, big hugs from grandparents, and eating way too much. But, for the Bulldogs, Thanksgiving break means focus. There’s no school, homework, or tests. Just football.

“It feels more like a professional atmosphere where football now is the kid’s job. It’s our job and that’s what they’re doing,” DeLay said. “They don’t have to worry about school and all of that stuff, they just go and play ball.”

It’s something Thomasville has prepared for, treating their trips to Jeff Davis and Fitzgerald in the regular season similarly to a long post-season trip.

Thomasville will take on the Irish at Dublin on November 29 at 7:30 p.m.