VALDOSTA — Three plays, three minutes and 48 seconds. That’s how quickly the Statesmen of Delta State cut VSU’s lead from 24-0 to 31-21.
Three straight times Delta State touched the ball, they scored. The final two scores came within 58 seconds of each other.
Valdosta held a 17-0 at the half, then scored again to make it 24-0. Then the Statesmen poured it on.
The first Delta score was a 19-yard touchdown pass from Dedrick Wilson to Jeremy Ricks.
It capped off a five-play drive in which Ricks gained 30 total yards on three touches.
The first extra-point try was blocked by the Blazers, but their second personal foul penalty of the drive gave DSU another chance. They capitalized, as Trey Adams made the second kick, and DSU had its first seven points of the game.
The Blazers answered right back, and it looked like they would be in control with their 31-7 lead.
But lightning struck on the ensuing kickoff.
Ricks made the catch on his own 15-yard line, broke a couple tackles, then he was off to the races down the sideline. Kicker Chad Gallahan was the last player Ricks passed by on his way to an 85-yard kick return for a touchdown.
Still looking to hold off the surge, the Blazers took the field and went back to work.
Rashawn Robinson took the first down handoff and busted seven yards.
Then, on second-and-3, a false start penalty moved the Blazers back five yards. Now they were looking at second-and-8 from their own 40-yard line.
Copeland dropped back and felt the same pressure he had felt all night. As he tried to scramble away, he saw a chance for a short completion.
Copeland lobbed the short pass, but out from behind a defensive lineman came Delta State linebacker Jerry Evans. Evans picked off the pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown.
Delta State then scored 14 more unanswered points, and eventually held on for the 35-31 win in front of a stunned Bazemore-Hyder Stadium crowd.
Local Sports
Game turns on big plays in third quarter
- 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
-
