Bulldogs try to keep marching on

Fri. November 11, 2011 at 1:21 a.m. | By Mike Duprez

It’s that time of the year again. Thomasville is making a run in the state playoffs and yet another standout tailback is leading the charge.
Fresh off a school single-game record 381 yards rushing last Saturday, Johnson and the Bulldogs await what is expected to be a tough challenge from Wilkes Central in the second round of the 2-A state playoffs on Friday at Cushwa Stadium.
Wilkes Central is 10-1, having lost only to undefeated Starmount after holding a 17-6 lead. The Eagles rallied past Lexington 35-34 in the first round.
“They’re a good, sound football team,” said Thomasville offensive coordinator Dickie Cline. “They’re good on both sides of the ball.”
Thomasville (8-4) walloped Surry Central in the first round 56-26 with a steady dose of Johnson, who scored five touchdowns.
And now it’s the Eagles who have to deal with him.
“We’ll try to do what hasn’t been done at least for the last couple of weeks,” said Wilkes Central coach Jeremy Funderburk. “You try to tackle him and contain him. He’s pretty special. It’s been interesting trying to develop a defensive game plan.”
As usual, there’s no secret as to what Thomasville is going to do. The tailback is going to get the ball again and again in a Cline offense. Just like Brad Hoover and Madison Hedgecock did at Ledford, Johnson is doing it for Cline at Thomasville.
“We’re going to run the football, hopefully, because that’s what we do,” Cline said. “But we have the ability to throw the ball when so choose.”
The Bulldogs are successful enough with the pass to make teams pay for overstacking the box. Sophomore quarterback Shakeem Peterson threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Quindale Williams against Surry Central while Johnson took off a few plays to have a hurt ankle tended to by trainers. Johnson also caught a game-winning 80-yard touchdown pass from Peterson against Salisbury. Peterson has thrown for 893 yards and eight touchdowns, with a county-best 9.1 yards per attempt.
Wilkes Central runs the Wing-T offense and that could present problems for the Bulldogs. Central Davidson rolled up 272 yards rushing against Thomasville with the Wing-T.
“We believe our offense gives us a lot of options,” Funderburk said. “We try to be balanced.”
One of the key perfomers for Wilkes Central is two-way standout Dustin Triplett, who starts at tailback and free safety. Triplett has around 1,500 yards rushing, including 128 yards and two touchdowns against Lexington. He also intercepted a pass. The Bulldogs saw enough on film.
“He’s a heck of a player,” Cline said. “He likes to come up to the line and makes good plays. Hopefully, we can do some things that take advantage of his aggressiveness.”
Johnson has taken it easier in practice to heal the ankle, which he hurt in the third quarter on Saturday.
“He’s a tough one,” Cline said. “We’re beat up like everybody else at this time of the year. We expect everybody to ready to go Friday.”
The winner of Friday’s game will face the Starmount-Salisbury winner in the third round.

Mike Duprez can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 218 or mike.duprez@the-dispatch.com.