WARNER ROBINS — The Lowndes High Vikings hit Houston County for big play after big play, and came away with their fifth consecutive win Friday night.
Three of Lowndes’ four touchdowns went for 40 yards or more, en route to a 33-7 victory against the Bears.
The Vikings (5-1, 2-0 in Region 1-AAAAA) were able to move the ball with ease on offense, while holding the Bears (1-5) without a touchdown until the final four minutes of the game.
The Vikings gave away the big play theme on the first play from the line of scrimmage, when quarterback Khary Franklin dropped back and fired 30 yards down field to Gerald Demps. Franklin would complete another big pass on that drive, finding Jerry Postell in the flat, who would then turn it up field for a 24-yard gain. The drive would ultimately end with the Vikings missing the end zone and sending out Mark Willis on fourth-and-six from the 20-yard line.
Willis started the scoring on a 37-yard field goal 3:15 into the game.
The Vikings’ offense would sputter two more times, starting one drive from the 50 and another three-play effort on their own 43.
While the offense was searching for early momentum, the defense bewildered the Bears.
In Houston County’s first two drives of the first quarter, they tallied just seven plays for 11 yards.
The second quarter began well for Lowndes, as the defense got on the scoreboard after the Bears’ second play of the quarter.
Houston County quarterback Jeff Thompson fumbled the snap on Houston’s 2-yard line and picked it back up, only to be tackled in the end zone by Lowndes’ T.J. Manning for a safety.
When the Vikings’ offense received the ball on the ensuing drive, they made it count, as Darriet Perry took the third play 44 yards into the end zone for a 12-0 Vikings’ lead.
Lowndes would make up for not finding the end zone on their first three drives, as they scored touchdowns on the next three.
With 6:50 left until halftime, Greg Reid caught a Christian Glisson pass and took the ball 47 yards down the right sideline for yet another big pass play.
While Lowndes’ quarterback threw for that touchdown, its next score would come on a quarterback run, as Franklin turned the ball up the field and scored on Lowndes’ shortest touchdown of the night, a 29-yard rush. Willis’s extra point gave the Viking a 26-0 lead heading into halftime.
Vikings’ head coach Randy McPherson wanted his offense to continue the big plays in the second half, and they did it early. After the defense recovered a Houston County fumble, the offense used just one big play to find the end zone.
Perry scored the Vikings’ final touchdown of the night on a 40-yard run, 31 seconds into the second half.
The senior wingback had his third straight 100-yard rushing performance, gaining 116 yards on six carries. Currently Perry stands just one yard away from Lynn Williams’ all-time career rushing record at Lowndes.
The Vikings moved the ball in the air, as well as on the ground, passing for 113 yards, a season high.
“We just made plays,” McPherson said. “I thought we moved the ball well.”
While Lowndes moved the ball well, the Bears could not move it much at all. The Bears picked up just one first down in the first half, and totaled just five in the game. Houston County tallied just 105 yards of total offense, with 50 yards coming on two pass plays.
One of those pass plays was a 30-yard reception by Craig Pressley from Thompson for the Bears’ lone touchdown against the Vikings’ second-team defense.
“I’m real proud of our kids,” McPherson said. “They came up here and won a region game.”
Lowndes has a bye date this week on their schedule, before hosting cross-town rival Valdosta on Oct. 20.
