Thomasville Bulldogs
Coach Ryals: ‘2014 was disappointing, we could have done something special’ A quick look at the Thomasville Bulldogs’ 2014 record hides some surprising facts. At first glance, the 6-5 mark looks very atypical for a Thomasville team. A 2A school with five state titles, 21 region titles, and eight NFL players rightly expects to do better than 6-5. And when you talk to head coach Leroy Ryals, you get the idea that he is unimpressed with how last year turned out. “Yeah, it was disappointing. I thought we had a chance to do something special. We play a tough schedule and we had some injuries. When you’re a 2A school, you’ve got to stay healthy,” he says.
photography courtesy of Thomasville High School
Senior lineman Mason Hodge spent his summer visiting Ivy League schools such as Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Read more about him on page 85!
The Bulldogs started out the season with three straight losses – to West Laurens, Cairo, and Valdosta. The Valdosta game in particular was a tough pill to swallow. The mighty Wildcats edged Thomasville 10-0 in Valdosta. After that loss, the Bulldogs won five straight games before losing by 10 to Brooks County with the region championship on the line. Had Thomasville won the game, the Bulldogs would have taken the region championship. With the loss, however, Thomasville ended up in a three-way tie for first with Brooks and Fitzgerald. The Bulldogs lost the tiebreaker and had to travel for the first round – to Savannah
to play eventual state champions Benedictine. “We just didn’t play well enough to win against Brooks. And that put us on the road against Benedictine,” says Coach Ryals. The Bulldogs are left with a lot of question marks heading into 2015. Graduation decimated the offense, leaving just two returning starters. But they’re good ones and they’re in key positions – the offensive line. Senior Mason Hodge (6’3”, 265) and junior Thomas Rayburn (5’9”, 260) are big, strong kids who can move well and keep defenders at bay. They will play a vital role in leading the rest of the line and protecting the
skill guys behind them. Under center this year will be a sophomore – J.T. Rice (6’2”, 180), a talented young man who has a very bright future ahead of him. Coach Ryals will use several different running backs but all are fast, powerful runners. The defense, however, is another story. The Bulldogs have some depth on that side of the ball. All the linebackers are back and the line is solid. The secondary is where the trouble spots are. The entire secondary is gone and Coach Ryals and his staff will have to “be creative” when filling those positions. Key defensive players include Gavin Hiers (LB, 5’10”, 190),
Tyler Lowe (LB, 5’11”, 185), Jacobi Hayes (LB, 5’11”, 200), and Tahja Porter (nose guard, 6’1”, 270). “The rest of the front seven got a lot of playing time last year so we should be OK there. The secondary? That’s where our question marks are. But it’s up to us as coaches to answer those questions,” says Coach Ryals. This year, Coach Ryals expects his team to work hard and be in the mix at the end of the season. Since he’s
been at Thomasville, his teams have lost just two region games – both times against Brooks. They need to figure out a way to beat Brooks County without overlooking anybody else in the region. “There will be no excuses. Not here at Thomasville. We’ve got to find a way to play well. And we play in a tough region. There are no gimmes here,” he says.
Region:
GHSA 1-AA
2014 Region Record:
5-1
2014 Overall Record:
6-5
Head Coach:
LeRoy Ryles
In the Game Preseason Football Edition 2015
37