VALDOSTA — Valdosta High started its 2006 season with a scrimmage victory Friday night.
Valdosta defeated Bainbridge 16-13 in a scrimmage at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
The Wildcats gained considerably more yards than the Bearcats, but the scrimmage came down to a field goal attempt on the final play of the game. A 52-yard kick by Bainbridge’s Quent Jones fell short as time expired, and Valdosta came out with the win.
The deciding points came on a 26-yard field goal by Valdosta’s Brad Barr with 1:46 remaining. Barr’s kick wrapped up a 13-play drive that moved the ball from the Valdosta 30 to the Bainbridge 7 before stalling.
That drive included runs of 18, 13 and 13 yards by quarterback Alfrie Johnson and two third-down conversions by the Wildcats. When the drive stalled at the 9, Barr, who had missed two field goals earlier in his first time playing for the Wildcats, came on and split the uprights from the left hash mark.
It was a scrimmage of both good and bad for Valdosta. Valdosta had success moving the ball on offense, moving the ball into Bearcat territory seven times, and their defense shut down Bainbridge for the most part, except for a long run and a scoring drive. But the Wildcats gave up a couple of big plays on defense, and their seven trips across the 50 yielded just 16 points. So there was plenty for head coach Rick Tomberlin to be pleased with, but also plenty the coaches have to work on.
On the second play of Bainbridge’s first possession, wingback Johnny Wynn got the ball on a toss sweep going wide, found daylight when he turned the corner, and dashed 82 yards for a touchdown, giving the Bearcats a 6-0 lead.
Valdosta took the lead with 49.9 seconds left in the first half. Two plays after linebacker Charles Alford recovered a fumble at the Bearcats 24, Johnson faked a handoff and found Brian Mathis in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown. Barr’s kick made it 7-6 at halftime.
Bainbridge took the lead back late in the third quarter with a six-play, 70-yard drive, culminating in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Andrekis Harris to Jeremiah Simkins, making it 13-7 Bearcats.
Valdosta responded with a 70-yard drive of its own. The Wildcats ran the ball on 10 straight plays, then on fourth-and-4 from the Bearcat 11, Johnson found fullback Rashad Austin for a touchdown, tying the score.
The Wildcats scored the deciding points on their next drive.
Tailback Demetrius James carried the ball 19 times for 111 yards, while Johnson gained 96 yards on 10 carries.
Johnson struggled, throwing the ball early on, misfiring on his first six passes, but after that, he got his rhythm and wound up completing 6-of-16 passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns.
The first quarter was played between the teams’ younger players. Valdosta won that mini-scrimmage, too, 8-0. Tavares Belcher’s’ 4-yard touchdown run with 28 seconds left in the quarter was the difference. Kyle Rowe then ran in the two-point conversion.
Local Sports
Valdosta defeats Bearcats
Wildcats win scrimmage against Bainbridge with 27-yard field goal
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