Christian Malone
VALDOSTA — Lincoln did it to Valdosta again.
Like they did in 2002, 2003 and 2005, Lincoln found a way to come back in the fourth quarter against Valdosta.
This time, Xavier Lamb’s 1-yard touchdown run with 31.9 seconds to play gave Lincoln a 24-21 victory Friday night at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
“Man, what a game. It’s hard to lose like that,” Valdosta head coach Rick Tomberlin said. “Our kids played their hearts out. I feel for them.
“Lincoln’s got a great team. I can’t see how they were 1-2, because they didn’t play like it tonight. They’re impressive. They’ve got six Division I players right now.”
Michael Turner’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Walker had given Valdosta a 21-17 lead with 2:27 to play. As it turned out, that was more than enough time for Lincoln to come back.
At that point, Lincoln quarterback B.J. Daniels put his team on his back and just about carried them to victory. Daniels hit Juwanza Starling on third down to prolong the drive, then dashed 26 yards to get the ball into Valdosta territory. Two plays later, he dashed 16 yards, down to the Wildcat 16. Then, with Lincoln facing third-and-6 at the 12, Daniels ran away from two onrushing defenders, took off down the sidelines, and fell down at the 1 with 34 seconds to play. After a timeout, Lincoln came out in the power I, and Lamb carried the ball across the goal line to give the Trojans the lead.
But the game wasn’t over yet. Valdosta took over at its own 20, and nearly came back to tie. Turner raced 28 yards down the middle of the field, to the VHS 48. On the next play, Turner threw for Brian Mathis at the Lincoln 25, but Mathis was interfered with and couldn’t haul in the pass. Smart move for Lincoln, because the penalty only moved the ball to the Trojan 37, with seven seconds left on the clock.
At that point, Tomberlin chose to send in kicker Brad Barr for a 54-yard field goal attempt, easily his longest attempt ever.
The snap and the hold were good, and Barr connected solidly. The ball went up, sailed for the uprights, then, as everyone in Bazemore-Hyder held their breath, it came down and hit the crossbar.
The ball bounced up, hit the upright — and bounced away. No good.
“Brad kicked it about as well as he could kick it. He kicked it right down the center. It just hit the crossbar, hit the upright, and it didn’t go in,” Tomberlin said. “It was that close.”
It was an exciting end to an exciting ballgame. Lincoln led 7-0, then the game was tied 7-7 at halftime. Lincoln took a 17-7 lead midway through the third quarter, only to have Valdosta rally for two touchdowns and a 21-17. That set the stage for a nailbiting end.
On Lincoln’s second possession of the game, Daniels’ 42-yard pass to T.J. Bryant moved the Trojans into Valdosta territory, then fullback Blaze Collins found a hole, and blazed into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. Shane Warner’s extra point gave Lincoln a 7-0 lead.
Midway through the second quarter, Valdosta drove down the field and tied the score. Turner’s 22-yard run and his third-down pass to James Boyd helped move the ball to the Lincoln 12. Then Demetrius James got the ball on a toss sweep going left, got the blocks in front of him, and dashed 12 yards for the score. Barr’s extra point tied the score, 7-7.
A Valdosta fumble on the first play of the second half gave Lincoln the ball at the VHS 27, and that led to a 41-yard field goal by Warner, making it 10-7.
On Lincoln’s next possession, Daniels faked a handoff on a triple option play going right, cut upfield, and raced 39 yards for a touchdown, giving Lincoln a 17-7 lead.
But Valdosta wasn’t dead yet.
At the end of the third quarter, Tony Sutton returned a punt all the way to the Lincoln 33, and was tackled by the face mask, giving Valdosta possession at the 18. Three plays later, Turner scrambled, then fired a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tuzer Chism, making it 17-14.
Lincoln then fumbled on the ensuing kickoff, and Valdosta recovered at the Trojan 22. But Barr missed a 38-yard field goal, and the Wildcats came away empty.
Valdosta got the ball back with just over eight minutes to go, and responded with a 17-play, 78-yard drive. The Wildcats put the ball in James’ hands 10 times on the drive, usually on the toss sweep, and he gained 36 yards. His biggest gain was a 5-yarder on fourth-and-1 from the Trojan 15.
Then on third-and-goal from the 8, operating out of the stack-I, Turner rolled right, and fired for the right side of the end zone. Walker reached out and hauled the pass in for the touchdown, giving Valdosta its first lead of the game.
But then Lincoln got the ball back, and Daniels led them down the field for the win.
For Valdosta, James carried 30 times for 126 yards and a touchdown. Daniels led Lincoln with 109 yards rushing on nine carries.
