Following two bye weeks, Putnam County hits the field this Friday for the first round of the state playoffs.
The War Eagles finished the season with a 5-5 overall record and are the No. 20 seed in the Class A Division I power rankings. They’ll have a tough test in the round of 32 against No. 13 seed Thomasville (7-3).
The Bulldogs are much better than their seeding. They ended the season ranked No. 5 in the Class A Division I poll by Georgia High School Football Daily. They’ve lost to Thomas County Central (55-7), the No. 1 team in Class 5A, as well as Class A Division I’s No. 1 Worth County (41-40) and No. 7 Fitzgerald (24-21). Putnam County head coach Joel Harvin knows what lies ahead for his team.
“We drew a tough one with Thomasville … they were four points away from being region champs in the regular season,” Harvin said. “They’re going to be a tough opponent.”
The Bulldogs have one of the top offenses in Class A Division I, averaging right around 44 points per game.
Thomasville quarterback Cam Hill is a four-year starter, having thrown 6,787 yards and 76 touchdowns throughout his career entering this game. This season, he’s passed for 1,747 yards and 23 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Hill is also a dual threat, rushing for 294 yards and seven scores on the ground this year.
“Thomasville has got a pretty high-powered attack,” Harvin said. “They are explosive and can score fast when they need to. Their quarterback is a mobile guy. He’s really a throw-first kind of quarterback, but can use his feet when he needs to. He does a good job of stepping up in the pocket, and making good throws. So, we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
Hill, a Mercer commit, loves to target senior receivers Nigel Pittman and DJ Sawyer, who have combined to haul in 68 passes for 1,145 yards and 19 touchdowns so far this year.
Thomasville also runs the ball effectively, led by senior back Lavonte Cole, who has rushed for 707 yards on 91 carries and 14 touchdowns. The Bulldogs also rely on junior AJ Hill Jr. and senior Adam Barnes in the run game.
“They are a big-time perimeter team. When they get out there, they’re hard to tackle. And they’ve got receivers that do a great job of blocking for them,” Harvin said. “They’ve got guys that run great routes. So, we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
The War Eagles’ defense has improved this season, allowing an average of 22.1 points per game. But they’ve struggled when facing high-powered offenses, such as Morgan County and Laney.
Regardless, Harvin expects his players to be ready for Thomasville and for a raucous atmosphere. He remembers coaching at Early County, as he’s faced the Bulldogs at Veterans Memorial Stadium before.
“They’re going to be a challenge for us in that atmosphere,” Harvin said. “I coached (in South Georgia) for seven years. The atmosphere (in Thomasville) is like no other, man. They have a strong tradition and usually fill the stands. It’s going to be an exciting time to play some playoff football.”