VALDOSTA — Valdosta’s players know how good Lowndes is. And they’re ready for the challenge.
Valdosta and Lowndes square off at 8 p.m. today at Martin Stadium for bragging rights — and possibly an eventual region title.
Valdosta (6-1, 3-0 Region 1-AAAAA) expects Lowndes to be as tough as they always are.
“They’ve got a great program,” Valdosta head coach Rick Tomberlin said. “They’ve played real well the last few weeks. They beat Coffee (42-13) and Central Gwinnett (42-0) and Houston (33-7) pretty bad.
“They’ve got great quickness and speed. That’s the first thing that comes to mind. There’s quickness at linebacker, defensive back, really all over on defense. They’re also quick at running back and receiver, and the quarterback is real fast.”
The Vikings and the Wildcats use different offenses and defenses, but Tomberlin sees some similarities between the teams.
“I think we’re two similar teams,” he said. “Both of us like to run the ball. Both of us like play-action passes. Both of us put an emphasis on defense. We’re quick, and we’ve both got a good weight program. I think it’s an interesting matchup.”
As always, Valdosta will have to find a way to move the ball on the Vikings’ defense. This year, Lowndes’ first-team defense has allowed only four touchdowns in six games.
“Their defense is good. As good as they always are,” Valdosta quarterback Michael Turner said. “We know that, come Friday night, they’re going to play their hardest.”
Of course, Valdosta also plans to play its hardest. It’s not hard for the Wildcat players to get fired up for the Lowndes game.
“All you’ve got to do is say ‘Lowndes,’ and we’ll be ready to go,” Turner said.
So which Lowndes players impress Tomberlin the most?
“Of course (Darriet) Perry,” Tomberlin said. “No. 24 (Greg Reid) is a great player on offense and defense. No. 11 (Tavaris Williams) is a real good linebacker, and No. 6 (Desmond Miller) is a good defensive end. The quarterback (Khary Franklin) is quick as a cat, and he makes a lot of plays.
“The offensive line is not that big, but they get after you. A lot like us. Neither one of us has the giants that Coffee’s got or Brookwood’s got, or Lincoln.”
Though Valdosta believes the Vikings might have some tricks up their sleeve, ultimately the Wildcats know they have to stop Lowndes’ standard wing-T offense.
“They don’t change a lot. They believe in what they do, and they do it well. They dance with the one that brung them,” Tomberlin said. “They’ve added some wrinkles, though, every game. I’m sure they’ll bring some wrinkles for us, because they’ve had an extra week to get ready. (The wing-T) is a difficult offense to defend, but we see it a lot now.”
The rivalry may be intense, but Valdosta’s coaches respect the Vikings’ program, and all it has accomplished the past few years.
“They’ve got a strong program and a solid team,” Tomberlin said. “They’ve got a playoff-caliber team, maybe a championship-caliber team.”
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