VALDOSTA — Lowndes made its first-round playoff matchup look more like an exhibition game, as the Region 1-AAAAA champions eliminated Windsor Forest in every sense of the word.
The No. 4 Vikings advanced to the second round of the AAAAA playoffs with a 50-0 victory against Windsor Forest Friday.
Windsor Forest kept the game relatively close in the first half, and only trailed 23-0 at halftime. But the Vikings warmed up in the third quarter. Lowndes hung 27 points on the Knights in the third quarter, with 14 coming in just one minute’s time.
The Vikings’ defense smothered Windsor Forest, allowing minus-42 yards rushing and coming away with seven turnovers, most of them forced.
“Our defense forced a lot of turnovers,” Lowndes head coach Randy McPherson said. “That’s what good defenses do.”
The Vikings’ defense did it with emphasis, as Greg Reid, Lee Rewis and Tavaris Williams had one interception each, and Lowndes recovered four Windsor Forest fumbles. Reid led the way on defense and special teams, running back a punt return 62 yards for a touchdown, and Darriett Perry led the way on offense. The senior wingback gained 91 yards and rushed for three touchdowns, and two two-point conversions. Perry had the biggest run from scrimmage on the night, with a 50-yard touchdown for his second score with 4:38 left in the second quarter.
Perry’s first touchdown run, came on a 4-yard scramble about five minutes earlier to make the score 16-0 after the 2-point conversion.
The Vikings opened up the scoring on their second drive of the game, as Williams broke through the middle of the Knights’ defensive line for a 20-yard touchdown. Perry followed with the conversion, making it 8-0 on the scoreboard. Both of Perry’s second-quarter touchdowns came off of Windsor Forest fumbles recovered by the Vikings.
Lowndes had a better second half, than first, but the Vikings’ defense kept the game from being close. Lowndes held Windsor Forest to minus-4 yards of total offense in the first half and only three first downs. Lowndes’ offense was warmed up in the second half, as Perry scored his third touchdown of the night on the Vikings’ first drive. Perry rushed 21 yards for the score, and Mark Willis followed with the extra point for a 30-0 Lowndes lead.
The Vikings excitement level peaked, and they put the last nail in the coffin on Reid’s punt return.
The Vikings scored 68 seconds later, when Adrian Hargett capitalized on Williams’ interception with a 3-yard touchdown run.
“We just played hard,” McPherson said. “We played well. We had the shutout, and didn’t have a turnover.”
With time still left in the third quarter McPherson took out his starters, and watched as the B-squad kept the shutout alive, and scored the Vikings’ final touchdown.
Hayden Martin took a hand off from freshman quarterback Tyler Hunter and ran 45 yards down the right sideline for the score with four seconds left in the third. Lowndes almost made the score even more laughable with a game-ending touchdown. However, a rushing attempt by Diondrick Mitchell was stopped at the Knights’ 1 as time expired.
“I’m proud of our kids,” McPherson said. “Our young kids got to play. It was a good night.”
The Vikings have built momentum that will be needed to carry them through a possible four more rounds, beginning Friday with a home date against 8-3 Douglass out of Atlanta.
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Discussion
Vikings dominate Knights
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