WAYCROSS — The Vikings held together and came out of Waycross with a mark in the win column.
The Lowndes (2-1) football team overcame fumbles and penalties to defeat Ware County 28-14 in Waycross Friday.
The Vikings fell behind early when Ware County (1-1) capitalized on a Lowndes’ miscue in the first quarter.
After holding the Gators to a 3-and-out situation, the Vikings gave the ball right back to Ware County. On the punt return for Lowndes, the ball bounced off the foot of a Vikings blocker for a turnover. Following the fumble, the Gators had good field position on the Lowndes 23-yard line. After two run plays, amounted for just 3 yards, the Gators and quarterback Dustin Cox went to the air.
On the second pass of the drive, Cox found Cole Anderson for 16 yards in the end zone.
The fumble was the first of three in the game, all lost to the Gators. The three turnovers pushed the Vikings 2007 season total up to 11.
Despite the turnovers, Lowndes has been able to hold opponents defensively and get enough yards out of its offense to win.
Saturday night was not an exception.
The Lowndes defense limited the Ware County running game to 20 yards on 22 carries, forcing the Gators to be one-dimensional.
On offense, Lowndes continued to pressure the Gators, starting on the first drive of the second quarter. Behind big runs by Adrian Hargett, Darriet Perry and Greg Reid, the Vikings marched 58 yards for their first score of the night.
On fourth-and-goal from the one, Perry plowed through for one yard and the touchdown, with 6:32 left in the first quarter. Mark Willis followed with an extra point to tie the game for the first of two occasions.
The touchdown was set up by Perry when he scrambled on third-and-goal from the 14, thanks to a tackle for loss by Ware for 13 yards down to the cusp of the goal line.
The Vikings would break the tie about three minutes later when the defense provided Lowndes with good field position on the Ware County 27-yard line.
Hargett started the two-play drive with a 2-yard run, before racing to the end zone on a 25-yard scamper. The Vikings would head into the locker room with a 14-7 lead after Mark Willis’s extra point.
The Vikings defense held Ware County in check most the evening, save for a 46 yard pass and an 18 yard pass from Cox.
“We gave up a couple plays on defense, but other than that, we were lights out,” Lowndes coach Randy McPherson said.
Cox’s 18-yard pass to Dimittris White, coupled with a Vikings’ pass interference, set up Ware County’s second and final touchdown of the night. With 4:18 left in the third quarter, Derrick Daniels rushed in the end zone for 2 yards, preceding an extra point by Zack Griffin.
Following the touchdown and the arguable interference call, the Vikings hollered to each other, never falling behind.
Getting the ball on their own 31-yard line, the Vikings marched don the field, sparked by a 32-yard run by Reid, to go into the fourth quarter on the Gators’ 1-yard line.
Four seconds into the final quarter, Devon Simmons punched the ball in from the one, to give the Vikings the lead for good.
The Gators attempted the comeback, throwing 15 passes, and running the ball just four times in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t put more than five completions together.
On the night, the Gators threw the ball 27 times, connecting just 14 for 143 yards.
On the Vikings’ next drive, Reid took control, rushing the ball twice for 56 yards, in a 76-yard drive.
On his second big run on that drive Reid broke loose, beating a defender with a spin move to score from 33 yards out with 6:07 left. Willis’s extra point ended the scoring at 28-14 in favor of the Vikings.
After a nine-play drive by Ware County, that concluded with three straight incompletions, including a highlight break-up by Gerald Demps, the Gators gave the ball back to the Vikings.
Demps’ defensive mate, Michael Copeland, essentially ended the game, sacking Cox in the backfield, allowing Lowndes to kneel the last three plays.
“It was a total team effort,” McPherson said. “Our kids never quit, never doubted and trusted the game plan. We beat a good football team.”
Local Sports
Related Photos
-
Lowndes High’s Desmond Miller (6) takes down Ware County senior Derrick Daniels (38) Friday night at Memorial Stadium in Waycross.
Discussion
Vikings skin Gators, 28-14
- Local Sports
-
-
The losing continues
Tommy Hanson says the Braves aren’t in panicking after their longest losing streak in two years reached eight games.
-
Gulf South approves invitation to Lee University
The Gulf South Conference’s search for additional members bore fruit when GSC Commissioner Nate Salant announced the GSC Executive Committee’s unanimous approval of an invitation to Lee University to apply for membership.
The approval comes on the heels of a recommendation from the GSC Expansion Committee, which visited Lee University’s campus last week -
Dario Franchitti wins Indy again
Dan Wheldon couldn’t win his third Indianapolis 500. Dario Franchitti did it for him.
And if it wasn’t going to be Franchitti, then it would be Scott Dixon. Maybe even Tony Kanaan.
No matter what, one of Wheldon’s best buddies was going to Victory Lane. -
VSU teams hosting summer camps
The national champion Valdosta State softball team will host two separate summer camps this summer, as well as weekly clinics throughout the summer.
The two summer camps will be held on June 11-13 and July 9-11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The camps will cost $100 each. -
David Dean Youth Camp begins next week
The David Dean Youth Football Camp is quickly approaching.
The fourth annual camp will be held May 29-June 1 at the Athletic Fieldhouse off Mary Street. -
National champion head coach rewarded with new truck
National champion head coach rewarded with new truck Valdosta State head softball coach Thomas Macera was rewarded with a new Toyota Tacoma from Valdosta Toyota on Wednesday for his team’s 4-1 victory over the University of California-San Diego in the Division II Softball National Championship Game.
-
Valwood’s Savino, Elliott named All-State soccer
Two Valwood boys’ soccer players have been named to the GISA Class AA All-State team.
-
All-American again
Go ahead and add another award to resume of this year’s Valdosta State softball team.
Between conference player of the week awards, a national player of the week award, All-Conference and All-Region honors and four All-American awards, the national champion Blazers had plenty of individuals honored for performances throughout the season, which ultimately led to VSU’s first ever softball national title. -
Local area events coming soon
Several local area runs will take place in the coming weeks.
Monday, May 28, there will be a Memorial Day 5K, which will begin at 8 a.m. from the VECA School located on the corner of Azalea Drive and College Street. -
Tech bound
Donjahae Jones gets it done in the classroom and on the track.
One of the top students in her class, and one of the top track and field competitors in the state, Jones will be taking her talents to the Division I level after she signed a track and field scholarship with Georgia Tech on Tuesday. - More Local Sports Headlines
-
