THOMASTON – It didn’t take long for the Sweet Water Bulldogs to prove why they belong in the Class 1A Top 10 rankings.

After stopping home-standing A.L. Johnson on its first possession, Travion Lockett took a sweep 55 yards for the first score among many for the Bulldogs.

Before the end of the first quarter, Sweet Water added another touchdown – this time through the air – when Deon Williams hit Juan Brothers for a 59 pass for their second score of the night. Freshman Anthony Landrum punched in the two-point conversion and gave Sweet Water a 16-0 lead.

With 32 seconds left in the first half, the Bulldogs pulled even further ahead – going back to trusted running back Dominic Holt, who bolted up the middle for a 12-yard touchdown run.

A.L. Johnson’s trusted offensive threat, Michael McGhee, finally got a chance to display his talent midway through the third quarter when he cut back around the Sweet Water defense and scored on a 49-yard run.

McGhee also hit Santana Ruffin on a 20 yard pass in the fourth quarter, but even a flashy offense wouldn’t help overcome the powerful offense of Sweet Water.

Patrick Gamble scored on a 78-yard run with less than six minutes left in the third quarter, and he scored again on a 72-yard run with 10:47 left in the fourth to put the Bulldogs up 40-8 and the game well out of reach.

And just as the game began, Lockett finished off the scoring when he sprinted 54 yards to give Sweet Water a 48-16 win.