Defending Georgia high school football state champion Thomas County Central picked up right where they left off from an undefeated season last year in a 54-7 win vs Monroe.
The Yellow Jackets had five different players score rushing touchdowns in the win, and scored on the first play from scrimmage.
Senior Ah’Mad Ponder took the opening handoff 66 yards for the first points.
Fellow senior AJ Clark, junior Christian “Deuce” Lawrence, and sophomores Kobe Carnage and Evan Martin all found pay dirt as well.
Returning junior quarterback Jaylen Johnson was sharp throughout. He found junior Rodney Dunbar for a 39 yard passing touchdown in the first quarter.
Johnson threw for 19 touchdowns and nearly 1800 yards as a sophomore signal caller for last year’s squad.
Junior defensive back Eddie Guerra notched a pick six in the game as well for the stingy Thomas County Central defense.
Senior kicker Drew Reneau also impressed. He made a 40 yard field goal, had a punt downed inside the 20, and had multiple touchbacks.
Sophomore edge rusher/outside linebacker Isaiah Andrews looked solid in his first career varsity start. He was in the backfield plenty and will be a name to know as he continues to progress in the program.
The Yellow Jackets won the 6A state championship in Georgia in 2023 with a 49-28 win over Woodward Academy.
With the GHSA eliminating the 7A division this year, Thomas County Central is competing in 5A this season.
Check out full highlights from the game on the DR Sportz YouTube channel or below
