Thomson wins Class AAAA title

THOMSON - Demarco McNair and Deon Palmer combined for 305 yards rushing and four touchdowns as No. 1 Thomson beat second-ranked Thomas County Central 42-27 in the Class AAAA championship Friday night. <br> <br> The Bulldogs (15-0) won their first state title since 1985, when Luther Welsh, the state&#39;s oldest active coach, was in his first stint with Thomson. <br> <br> ``We played well defensively except for the passing, but we kept the ball away from their offense,&#39;&#39; said Welsh, 70. ``When you do that, you&#39;ve got a chance to win.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> McNair carried 22 times for 164 yards and two scores. He put the Bulldogs ahead 6-0 with a 54-yard run in the first quarter, and his 4-yard run in the third quarter made it 28-14. <br> <br> Palmer ran 17 times for 139 yards. The quarterback&#39;s 3-yard run gave Thomson a 21-7 lead with 12 seconds left in the second quarter. <br> <br> Thomas County Central (14-1), which won five Class AAA titles in the 1990s, drew within 35-21 with 8:12 remaining when Erik Walden completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cole Grier. <br> <br> Palmer answered with a 51-yard run on his next possession to seal the victory. <br> <br> Walden completed 10 of 27 passes for 211 yards. Grier caught all three of the Yellow Jackets&#39; touchdown passes. <br> <br> Antwan Johnson scored two touchdowns and ran 10 times for 78 yards for Thomson. <br> <br> The Bulldogs lost in the quarterfinals last year to Dalton.