THOMASVILLE — Thomasville will have a new face under center in 2008.

Whether it’s Jeffery Dyson or Charles Hayes remains to be seen.

“I think they both want to contribute,” Thomasville coach Richie Marsh said. “I think it’s going to be close. I’d like to see one just go ahead of the other. I think we may have to sit down and look at what’s best for the team come August.

“I’d like for one just to pull ahead so we can go ahead with our summer stuff.“

Dyson, a rising sophomore, who was a phenomenal quarterback for MacIntyre Park, is excited about competing against Hayes, a rising junior, who will begin his second season with the Bulldogs.

“There’s a lot of competition, and this team loves competition,” Dyson said. “Even if he gets it, we’re still going to have a good team. If I get it we’re going to have a good team. It just balances it.”

Added Hayes: “You’ve got to be mature and composed. It seemed like with Ken (Dixon), nothing really got to him. If he messed up, he came back hard the next play.”

Dixon was a Times-Enterprise all-Region 1-AA selection last year after accounting for 1,259 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. Replacing him will not be easy, whether it is Dyson or Hayes.

“You can’t replace him,” Dyson admitted. “You can only watch and learn from him and let him teach you.”

Both of Dixon’s possible successors feature tremendous quickness and athleticsm.

“To be honest, both of them got the opportunity to play there (Monday) — they both looked timid last week about doing what they do because they both have good horizontal movement, and I didn’t see that in them a lot last week — I saw a little more of it (Monday),” Marsh added. “I saw a little more of that toughness where they just put their head down and try to move the chains.”

Although Hayes, who picked off two passes last year, is a returning starter at defensive back, that hasn’t swayed Marsh’s mind in any way.

“He’s going to play defensive back whether he’s a quarterback or not,” Marsh said. “With that being said, whatever happens at quarterback happens.

“We’re going to put the best 11 on defense and then see how it goes from there.”

As for Dyson, Marsh has no qualms about starting a sophomore under center.