By Bryan Fazio
THOMASVILLE — Before lightning shortened the Lowndes-Thomas County Central scrimmage Saturday, the Vikings’ defense struck like the impending storm, blanketing the Yellow Jackets.
Prior to the cancellation just 1:10 seconds into the fourth quarter, Lowndes was on top of TCC, 28-7.
The Vikings controlled the field against the defending Region 1-AAAA champions shortly after the varsity squads took to the field in the second quarter.
“We got some breaks, but we played hard,” Lowndes head coach Randy McPherson said. “I’m proud of our kids. As hard as they worked in the hot weather, it paid off.”
Lowndes received the ball to start the varsity segment, and drove down to the Yellow Jackets’ 42 before punting.
On the opening play from scrimmage, senior Darriett Perry rushed up the right sideline for a long gain before it was called back on a holding penalty.
After falling in a hole with 20 yards to go, Perry ran eight yards, setting up a third-and-seven situation. Lowndes went to the air with its sophomore quarterback, Khary Franklin. Franklin found Jerry Postell 19 yards down the field. After a 12-yard run by Perry and a 17-yard run by Tavaris Williams, the Vikings would punt away.
While Lowndes gave the ball back to TCC, it wouldn’t have it for long, coughing it up on a fumble during the second play.
Lowndes took over on the Yellow Jackets’ 22-yard line and used its familiar wing-T defense to march to the end zone. Perry had two runs of five yards each, sandwiching a 7-yard rush by Franklin to set up first-and-goal on the 10-yard line. Mikiell Padgett rumbled across the goal line from the fullback position to put Lowndes on the board.
The Vikings’ second score was set up similar to the first, as TCC again turned the ball over on a fumble. On the turnover, Williams scooped the ball up and ran it into the end zone, before the play was called back on a penalty flag.
However, the referee’s cloth ultimately couldn’t keep Lowndes out of the end zone.
Starting from the Central 12-yard line, Lowndes handed the ball to senior Perry, who went two yards, setting up a short-field situation.
The Vikings went to their short-yardage big package, the Plowboy, for the next three plays. Perry ran for six yards, and then three more on a third-and-4, before Devin Simmons plowed across for a 1-yard score, as the clock ticked down to 1:14 left in the half.
Before the half was through however, the Vikings’ defense would strike again.
On the Yellow Jackets’ first play following the score, quarterback P.J. Williams put a pass right into the arms of Lowndes linebacker Tavaris Williams. This time, Williams took it back into the end zone without a flag. Following a Mark Willis extra point, Lowndes was ahead 21-0.
While the first half was over, the Vikings weren’t through capitalizing on Yellow Jacket mistakes. On Thomas County Central’s first play of the half, it fumbled on its own 15-yard line, setting up another short-yardage situation.
Padgett rushed twice for a total of 7 yards, before Perry crossed the goal line on a 3-yard carry.
Perry finished the day with 55 yards on 10 carries, leading a Lowndes rushing attack that finished with 149 yards on 22 carries.
The offense found short field position, thanks to several miscues from the Yellow Jackets, who had 119 total yards of offense, with a majority coming on a touchdown-resulting drive.
Standout running back Debrale Smiley punched it in for Thomas County Central on a 2-yard rush with 1:26 left in the third.
The Yellow Jackets’ biggest drive of the game was an 88-yard affair sparked by Williams. The senior quarterback had 28 yards on seven carries, and 18 yards on two completions.
Both lines for the Vikings looked ready for action Friday, keeping the TCC offense off balance, and providing lanes for the Vikings’ running backs to run through. Both Vikings quarterbacks, Christian Glisson and Franklin, saw plenty of playing time, switching on and off, sometimes on every other play.
While the Vikings controlled just over two quarters of a scrimmage against Thomas County Central, McPherson still feels his team needs to work more before hosting Harrison in the season opener Friday.
“I was pleased,” McPherson said. “We aren’t where we need to be yet, but it’s a great start.”
