Thomson's punter is getting too much work

The big bodies on the Thomson offensive line have already created the makings of an All-Area season for a teammate.

It's just the wrong Bulldog.

Clay Dent has punted nine times for 313 yards. The average is only 35 yards, but the hang time of his ball is what matters. His first five punts of 2005 yielded zero return yards.

He's earning his keep because the Bulldogs (2-1) have scored 17 points so far. The offensive line averages 280 pounds per man tackle-to-tight end, but they move like molasses uphill in the Alps.

"I can't get those boys to do a thing," Thomson coach Luther Welsh said. "They're the biggest line I've ever had. ... But they're also the slowest. I can't get them to fire off the ball. All we do is burn three downs and punt. I can't get those big things to move at all."

Welsh doesn't even see flickers. He pines for a soundly blocked play every four snaps. No luck. Not one of his starting offensive linemen has graded out at above 50 percent efficiency this year.

"We even try to just line them up and blow people off the ball and forget pulling," Welsh said. "We try but the defenses are much quicker than we are. I do that and we only get two or three yards. It just won't sink in. This looks like a long struggle for us unless those boys decide they want to do something and for our team to be something this year."

Thomson travels to Burke County (3-0) Friday to face the only team it lost to in the regular season last year.

"The key matchup against Burke this week is our defense versus their offense," Welsh said. "Our defense should be able to handle them unless we have a bad game. Our kids can move on defense. There's no comparison with the offense. We're the exact opposite of our slow offense."

Welsh just hopes his defense won't have to stay on the field for 75 percent of the game again this week to have a shot at the Bears.

INJURY UPDATE: Silver Bluff quarterback Demetrius Washington is out this week against Bluffton. He left in the third quarter against Aiken and will miss the next few games.

"He's got strained ligaments in his ankle," Silver Bluff coach Al Lown said. "His right one. We hope to have him back for the Jasper County in a few weeks."

Lown said the junior slightly turned it in the first quarter but wanted to return in the second half after a few possessions.

"He got hit going full-speed while he was going down and the ankle turned," Lown said. "Nothing dirty or illegal. Just Aiken playing tough football."

Senior Myron Gary finished the game and will be the quarterback until Washington returns. Gary saw the majority of the snaps in 2004.

LIONEL TRAIN: Greene County offensive tackle Lionel Mapp is coming to a stadium near you if he can fit in it. Mapp is the biggest lineman in Georgia at 6-foot-9 and 364 pounds.

Mapp made the Georgia Sportswriters Association Class AA all-state team last year as a junior. He has one scholarship offer from Alabama. College recruiting guidepost Rivals.com rates him as the No. 24 player in Georgia.

"He's the biggest joker I've ever seen on a football field," Burke County coach Steve Summer said. "On film. Live. Whatever."

Lincoln County has already seen Mapp up close. Burke County saw him on film while preparing to play the Red Devils.

The Tigers travel to Washington County on Friday. Westside will load the buses to face Greene on Sept. 16. Josey plays host to the Tigers on Sept. 23. Laney closes the regular season at Greene on Oct. 28.

"He gets your attention with his size but he can play, too," Summers said.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Strom Thurmond notched six sacks last week against Batesburg-Leesville.

But the stellar defensive performance of the night went to senior free safety Tavine Brannon.

Brannon never left the field despite a high-ankle sprain.

"He's got a lot of cousins that play for Batesburg," Strom Thurmond coach Lee Sawyer said. "He wasn't coming out no matter what. He'd hear it if he did."

Sawyer believes this week's foe, Laney (3-0), is the best team he has seen so far.

"The way he (Brannon) played against Batesburg I wish he had some cousins that played for Laney, too. We'll need him to play like that again."

Reach Jeff Sentell at (706) 823-3425 or jeff.sentell@augustachronicle.com.