Bulldogs ready for the lights

Clint Thompson

May 15, 2008 10:37 pm

— THOMASVILLE — Two weeks of spring practice ends today at Thomasville High.
The finale is the annual spring game at Veterans Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m.
Coach Richie Marsh emphasizes there are a couple of positions the coaching staff will be focusing on during tonight’s game.
“We’re really eye-balling the linebackers and the offensive line,” Marsh said. “That’s been our two major concerns.”
Thomasville is looking to replace three starters on the offensive line, but the Bulldogs do return rising seniors Hank Summitt and Cedric Brown to lead the line.
Thomasville lost a wealth of experience at linebacker with Jermaine Johnson, Oscar Jackson and Willie Bradshaw graduating. Although rising senior running back Tyrone Williams is expected to see time on defense, as well.
Marsh said the two teams that will compete tonight were equally divided up, starting at the quarterback spot where Jeffery Dyson and Charles Hayes are battling for the starting job to replace Ken Dixon.
“They’re both doing well,” Marsh said. “I think that’s a competition, I’m sure it will continue. Both of them have done well, but we kind of expected them to do well.”
Marsh said Hayes hurt his ankle a couple of days ago, which has forced Dyson to play quarterback on both teams.
“Hopefully, Charles’ ankle is okay so we don’t have to do that (today),” Marsh said.
Overall, Marsh said he has been pleased with the enthusiasm his players have shown this spring.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do over the summer, though,” Marsh added. “Not that you never have a lot of work to do during the summer, but we’ve got some young kids that we need to make some big strides with this summer.”
There have been a couple of players that have had breakout performances this spring, too.
“Jeremy Johnson has been a pleasant surprise,” Marsh said about the rising sophomore defensive end. “Lawrence Ellis has done well at receiver and outside linebacker. We knew he had to step up as a senior, but the jury was still out. He’s come a good ways.
“We lost two good ones (at defensive line), well really three, because Calvin Teasdale started at left defensive end. Losing those three guys, we needed some young kids to step in. We thought that we were going to have to play kids both ways to do that. It’s great that somebody like Jeremy has stepped up and compete with the guys in the spring. Maybe we won’t have to play as many both ways, especially, on the line.”
n CLEAR OF CONSTRUCTION: Thomasville’s spring game will continue as scheduled despite construction work on the wall of the home stands. Marsh said the cement blocks will be moved out of the way.