THOMASVILLE — It took only a few seconds for Thomasville to seize momentum in their semifinal game with Callaway on Friday night.

About 15 seconds. That’s how long it took Malik Harper to race from his own 8-yard line to the end zone.

Harper ran the opening kickoff back 92 yards for a touchdown, and the Bulldogs never looked back, beating the Cavaliers 31-6 Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium in the Class AA state semifinals.

Thomasville (13-1) will play Fitzgerald, a 27-6 winner over Swainsboro, for the state title December 10 at Center Parc Stadium.

Bulldogs coach Zach Grage summed up the final seconds, as the players and student section poured onto the field.

“Awesome,” he said. “Hopefully not as awesome as next week. It was a great team win. We’re excited about the opportunity to go to Atlanta.”

Said Harper, “It’s a dream coming true.”

Shannen White also threw two touchdown passes and ran for another.

Harper’s kick return for a touchdown was the first for the Bulldogs in Grage’s six-year tenure as head coach. 

Even after Harper’s big play to start the game, it was turnovers and Thomasville’s stingy defense that held Callaway’s offense in check.

A fumble on the Cavaliers’ third play of the game led to Daniel Belvin’s 31-yard field goal and a 10-0 Bulldogs lead less than five minutes into the game. 

Thomasville had an apparent touchdown wiped away when Jeray Randall’s 16-yard toss to Jay Cody on a double pass was called an illegal forward pass. 

Callaway’s best scoring threat in the first half came on a nine-play, 80-yard drive, keyed by Carlos Billingslea’s 61-yard reception. But Blake Eubanks’ field goal missed wide right. 

Two plays later, White found Jordan Williams for an 81-yard catch and run and a 17-0 lead. 

“Holding them out of the end zone right before the half was extremely big for our halftime mentality,” Grage said, “especially with them getting the ball to start the second half.”

The Bulldogs wasted little time in stretching the lead to 24-0 early in the fourth quarter, Set up by Ty’Rundai Hayes’ fumble recovery at the Cavalliers’ 40, White ended the drive with a 16-yard scoring strike to Cole Shaw along the back of the end zone with 8:35 left in the third quarter. 

Callaway finally got on the board on DeShun Coleman’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Exavious Ree, who outfought two Bulldogs defenders, at the pylon with 10:42 to go in the game.

The Bulldogs, though, iced it on White’s bruising 32-yard run down the sideline, breaking a handful of tackles along the way, for the game’s final score.

Callaway’s defense held the Thomasville rushing attack, which rolled up more than 300 yards over Rabun County, to 169 yards. But the Bulldogs limited the Cavaliers to 36 yards rushing. 

The Cavaliers also committed four turnovers, two of which led to scores. The final turnovers was an interception in the end zone with less than a minute left.

“The turnovers were hard to overcome,” Wiggins said. “They had a lot of explosive plays. They played hard. They’re a great football team. There were opportunities. We had big turnovers and they made plays down the stretch that ultimately decided the game.” 

For the Bulldogs, while Grage said their effort wasn’t perfect against Callaway, they did enough good things.

“A lot of people were talking about an emotional letdown,” Grage said, noting last week’s rout of then No. 1-ranked Rabun County. “But this is what these kids have prepared for. Beating Central, beating Cairo, beating Bainbridge. This is what it’s for. Now we have to finish the drill.”