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By STEPHEN DAWKINS | Special to the Selma Times-Journal

THOMASVILLE – Dallas County’s playoff hopes took a hit on Friday night, Oct. 17, falling 51-6 in a road matchup with Thomasville.

Second-year coach Darryl Watts said the Hornets (2-6 overall, 2-4 in Class 3A, Region 3) were overwhelmed early by a senior-laden Thomasville squad and could not recover.

The Tigers were nursing a two-game losing streak following a 3-2 start to the season, but fighting for a playoff spot, the host team came out ready to take chances and they used that to capitalize on early opportunities.

The hosts (4-4, 3-3) scored on their first possession and then recovered the first of three consecutive onside kicks following touchdowns, putting Dallas County in a 22-0 hole before the visitors could regroup.

“They’re a well-coached team, and we’re a young team just trying to get our guys to buy in and play for one another,” Watts said. “We’re trying to create a culture and get our kids to take ownership of the product we put on the field.”

The Hornets did score in the second half on a long touchdown run by R.J. Jones, but by that point, it was too late for the Hornets to climb back into the game, leading to the final score of 51-6.

The loss likely keeps the Hornets out of the Class 3A playoffs. Dallas County was seeking its first playoff berth since 2019. Being back in contention to fight for a playoff spot, however, is something Watts hopes the team will use to get better and continue buying in.

“We’re going to take our growing pains and get better from them,” Watts said.

Dallas County has one more region game remaining, on Oct. 24 at Hale County, who sits in third place in the region. They’ll then finish the season on Thursday, Oct. 30 at R.C. Hatch.