VALDOSTA — The good news for Valdosta High: tonight’s opponent is 0-2.
The bad news: that 0-2 team is state power Brookwood — and that record is very deceiving.
“They’re the best 0-2 team in the state. There’s no doubt in my mind,” Valdosta head coach Rick Tomberlin said. “They’re 0-2, but I still think they’re one of the five best teams in AAAAA right now. They’re going to be tough.”
Brookwood comes south tonight to face to Valdosta in a matchup of two of Class AAAAA’s elite programs. Kickoff at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium comes at 8 p.m.
The game was scheduled for Saturday to accommodate the Broncos on a road trip that will be over four hours.
The Broncos lost their season opener to No. 2 Camden County 21-17, in a game where Brookwood may have outplayed its opponent, but still lost after a couple of big plays by Camden. Then last week, Brookwood fell to North Gwinnett, which is No. 5 in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s state poll, 10-3.
But Brookwood played those games without some key players, including quarterback Daniel Peek, who was suspended the first two games for a violation of team rules. Peek is an athletic quarterback with excellent speed who could really be a difference-maker for the Broncos. He adds a dimension that the Broncos didn’t have against Camden and North Gwinnett.
Even without Peek, Brookwood looked impressive to Valdosta’s coaches.
“They’re a real good football team,” Tomberlin said. “They’ve got a dominant defense that’s going to be hard to run against. Their defense only allowed Camden’s offense to gain just four first downs all game. And they run the ball pretty well. They’ve got those big offensive linemen that they like to run behind.”
And, lest anyone forget, Brookwood was the state runner-up last year, losing 49-7 to Lowndes in the finals, on its last trip to Winnersville.
Brookwood’s top offensive threat so far has been tailback Demetre Ledlum, who has rushed for 243 yards on 64 carries so far. He should get plenty of touches again tonight.
Brookwood’s defense is led by possibly the best linebacker in the state, senior Rennie Curran. Curran, a 205-pound middle linebacker with 4.55 speed, made 198 tackles last season for the Broncos on his way to an All-State selection. In two games this season, he has made 29 tackles and sacked the quarterback twice. He has already committed to play for Georgia.
“He’s a great linebacker,” Tomberlin said. “He runs real well, and gets to the ball real quick. He makes a lot of tackles. He makes it hard to run the ball.”
Brookwood’s other two linebackers, Joe Moore and David Kelley, are also college prospects, making the Broncos’ linebacker corps possibly the best in the state.
It will be up to Valdosta to find a way to move the ball and put points on the board tonight against that tough defense.
Valdosta (1-1) is coming off a 19-9 victory over Chattahoochee last week in Kingsland. The Wildcats’ offense finally started coming around last week, but will face a challenge against Brookwood’s defense. Valdosta’s defense, meanwhile, has allowed just nine points over the past six quarters.
Local Sports
VHS takes on Brookwood tonight
- Local Sports
-
-
Lowndes junior varsity tennis earns two wins
Lowndes High tennis opened up the 2012 season with a JV double-header in Waycross Wednesday afternoon
-
Lady Packers beat Lowndes, 55-48
The Colquitt County Lady Packers handed the Lowndes Vikettes a second straight loss Tuesday night, 55-48.
Jamesia Jones led Lowndes with 10 points, while Courtne Washington had nine. Tasia Brown finished with eight. -
Braves unveil another alternate home uniform
Hank Aaron recognized the look. Just not the feel.
The Atlanta Braves unveiled a new alternate home uniform Monday that is based on the attire worn when the team moved from Milwaukee in 1966, with Aaron as its biggest star. -
Valdosta native Garland named to Armstrong Atlantic HOF
Armstrong Atlantic State University has announced its latest induction class for the Armstrong Atlantic State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Among the six inductees and one Service Citation award winner is Valdosta native Nikki Garland, who ran cross county and track and field with the Pirates.
-
Freeman, Trojans finalize '12 schedule
The Brooks County Trojans’ football motto is to ‘bring the hammer’ each and every Friday night.
Well, the Trojans now know exactly who they will have to bring that hammer to this upcoming season, as head coach Maurice Freeman recently finalized Brooks County’s 2012 football schedule. -
New York wins Super Bowl
Eli Manning and the Giants one-upped Tom Brady and the Patriots again, coming back with a last-minute touchdown to beat New England 21-17 Sunday night for New York’s fourth Super Bowl title.
- Super Bowl boosts Indy’s image
-
Blazer softball sweeps Nova Southeastern
On Super Bowl Sunday, Valdosta State showed why it has been one of the super teams in the south region for years now.
-
Blazers fall to Saints
Just 24 hours after earning an impressive opening day victory, the Valdosta State baseball team struggled to find a rhythm against North Georgia, as the Blazers fell to the Saints 8-3.
North Georgia pitcher Blake Hobby was a major factor for VSU’s struggles. The senior right-hander held the Blazers to just one run on four hits across his eight innings of work on the hill. -
Tift County wins region wrestling championship
Tift County won the Region 1-AAAAA traditional wrestling championship on Saturday at Lowndes High School.
Tift had three individual region champions, had wrestlers place in the top three in 13 of the 14 weight classes and qualified wrestlers for next weekend’s sectional tournament in all 14 weight classes. Tift earned 184 team points, two points more than second-place Lowndes. - More Local Sports Headlines
-
Lowndes junior varsity tennis earns two wins
