THOMASVILLE —A Region 1-AAAA championship means an extra week of rest for the Thomas County Central softball team this year.

Central’s region will play Region 3 in the first round of the state playoffs this week. However, Region 3 only has four schools, and Benedictine — which is an all-boys school — does not field a softball program. So instead of preparing for this week’s state opener, the Lady Jackets are enjoying another week off before the second round next week.

“It’s challenging because obviously you look forward to the first round of games and getting the kids to play,” Central coach Robyn Trammell said. “It’s challenging, but we’re trying to practice hard.”

Once Central takes the field this postseason, it will enter as one of the favorites to contend for the state title. The Lady Jackets are 26-4, 15-0 in region play and have won eight of their last nine.

However, Central’s last game was Thursday, Sept. 30. It is not scheduled to host the playoffs’ second round until Oct. 19. The extra layoff could be a concern for some teams but not for Trammell’s players.

“I typically worry about everything,” Trammell said. “The girls don’t seem worried. They’re excited every day for practice.”

Central will host either Fayette County or Heritage in the second round.

The Lady Jackets are hoping to at least duplicate, if not exceed, last year’s postseason run that ended in the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. With Kaylee Barrett leading on the mound and a plethora of senior leadership, Central is poised to take the next step this postseason. A region title is not enough for these Lady Jackets.

“The girls are the ones with that mindset. I think they were excited for the night about region. After that it was, ‘Who’s next?’” Trammell said.