The two top football teams in Region 1-AA will face off Friday when the Thomasville Bulldogs visit the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricane.

Both teams are undefeated in region play and the winner is in the driver’s seat for the region championship. Although the teams have identical region records at 5-0, Fitzgerald is undefeated overall at 7-0 while Thomasville is 5-2.

The Bulldogs lost their first two games against Thomas County Central (21-7) and Cairo (21-14). Since, the Bulldogs have put up wins over Brooks County (28-20), Albany (41-7), Berrien (30-3), Cook (26-24) and Mitchell County (55-14).

While Thomasville has found a way to win throughout the season, Fitzgerald has been dominant all year long. During the Hurricane’s first six games, Fitzgerald outscored opponents 248 to 22. The early season success made Friday’s 33-14 win over Early County look like a struggle.

Although both teams favor the run, Thomasville passes the ball more than Fitzgerald. Thomasville quarterback Kendrick Dixon has passed for 568 yards on 33-of-55 passing. He has five touchdowns and three interceptions. He has also rushed for 316 yards and five touchdowns on 75 carries. His 879 total offensive yards has him ranked third in the region.

Sophomore Tyrone Williams leads the Bulldogs with 362 yards rushing on 74 carries. He has scored four times. Freshman Lanoris Christopher rounds out Thomasville’s young backfield. He has rushed for 242 yards on 35 carries and has five scores.

The Bulldogs will likely miss their fourth-leading rusher Jermaine Johnson who has 210 yards on 29 carries and three scores. He suffered a neck injury two weeks ago against Mitchell County.

While Thomasville has weapons, Fitzgerald has an arsenal. The Hurricane uses a bevy of runners and a large offensive line to bowl over opponents, and as a team they are averaging about 10 yards per carry.

Nick Williams leads the Hurricane with 700 yards on 75 carries and 12 scores on a 9.3-yard average. Dion Ross is second on the team with 469 yards rushing on 50 carries and eight touchdowns. He averages 9.4 yards per carry.

The other rushers for the Hurricane are Jemea Thomas (133 yards, 6.7 average), Corey Taylor (213 yards, six scores, 9.7 average), Larry KIng (321 yards, three scores, 11.1 average), Jarrell Paschal (96 yards, three scores, 6.9 average), and P.J. Pruitt (60 yards, 60.0 average).

Brad Taylor is the passing leader for the Hurricane. Taylor has completed 19-of-55 passes for 209 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. His targets include Trenton Pruitt (48 yards), P.J. Pruitt (59 yards) and Thomas (45 yards).

Both teams have solid kickers. Fitzgerald’s kicker Victor Ayala has made 4-of-4 field goals with a long of 46. He has also made 28-of-32 extra point attempts. Thomasville’s Davis Vann has made 22-of-27 extra points.

Game time is 7:30 p.m. in Fitzgerald.