Thomson High will load up their Bulldogs and make the short trek to Lincolnton this Friday night for a scrimmage that starts at 7:30. Tickets are $5 at the gate.
Thomson made a surprising early exit from the playoffs last season after suffering its only loss in the opening round. The Dogs' offensive leader is expected to be James Bonner, a small fullback with quickness who rushed for 1,179 yards and 20 TDs last season. He also led the Dogs in receiving with 10 catches for 156 yards.
QB Brandon Turman returns after completing 24 of 48 pass attempts for nearly 500 yards.
Lonnie Harris leads the Dogs Defense with 89 tackles a year ago. He and Darius Eubanks are Division I prospects and probable all-state selections. Bontavius McNair heads the offensive line.
The Bulldogs currently rank 11th on the all-time win list in Georgia with 565. Their winning percentage of 67.928% puts them 12th among Georgia schools playing at least 500 games.
Thomson coach Luther Welsh is 316-163-6 in a career that spans South Carolina and Georgia. He is currently 57th on the national all-time win list (23rd active), and 5th all-time in Georgia (3rd active). He'll move to 4th all-time in Georgia this season.
The Bullpups will visit Lincolnton on September 11 for a Junior Varsity game.
Click here for the Thomson Bulldogs website.
(Our thanks to The Lincoln Journal for the photo)