LITHONIA — The Valdosta Wildcats’ turnaround season came to an end Friday night, as they fell to the No. 2 Martin Luther King Jr. High Lions, 21-18.
The 10th-ranked Wildcats end their season 9-3. MLK remains the state’s only undefeated team, at 12-0.
The Wildcats were down for three quarters of the game, and never held the lead, but they made it close all the way down to the final gun. After being held to only one first down in the first half, Valdosta put together three scoring drives in the second half, two in the third quarter.
Each team struggled with the ball in a scoreless first quarter, with MLK getting the only first downs. Then, in the second quarter, the Lions put the first points on the board, after recovering a Valdosta fumble at the Wildcat 10.
With 10:59 to play in the first half, Lions running back Cordellaro Jones ran across the goal line from two yards out. Richard Freeman tacked on the extra point, and MLK led 7-0 going into the half.
After a subpar first half, Valdosta came out firing on all cylinders on offense in the second half. The Wildcats scored on three of its four second-half drives.
Just under three minutes into the second half, the first Valdosta touchdown came through the air. On second-and-12 from the 50-yard line, Michael Turner hit Marcus McNair on a screen pass out of the backfield. McNair then took off down the field, and raced into the end zone for the touchdown. Lawrence Clagett’s extra point was blocked, leaving Valdosta still trailing, 7-6.
The Lions didn’t take long to answer back. Actually it was only 12 seconds later. After the ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, MLK took over on the 35-yard line. Jones took the hand-off and burst up the middle, racing 65 yards for the touchdown.
Despite an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, the Lions were able to convert the extra point and take a 14-6 lead.
After the teams exchanged punts, the Wildcats put together their second scoring drive of the night. Valdosta held MLK deep in their own territory and took over the Lions’ 24-yard line after a 13-yard punt.
A big 18-yard run by Turner on fourth down set up the Wildcats with first-and-goal on the Lions’ 5-yard line. From there, David Arnold was able to plow his way into the end zone for the score.
Turner was sacked on the two-point try, but Valdosta had cut the lead, 14-12.
MLK got the ball back and was able to control the clock with a 9-play, 64-yard drive that was capped off by a 21-yard touchdown run from Jones. With the extra point, the Lions held a two-possession lead, 21-12.
The ball went back to the Wildcats with 10:06 left to play and Valdosta marched down the field. The Wildcats got five first downs on the way to a 1-yard touchdown run from Arnold.
Big passes from Turner to McNair and tight end Marcus Ewings kept the drive alive, before Arnold’s score. Despite the extra point failing, VHS was only down by three, 21-18.
On the ensuing kickoff, John Mark Stephenson tried the onside kick and put the ball straight up in the air about 12 yards down field. Three Wildcats were there to catch the ball at the 47-yard line. But even though Valdosta had recovered the onside kick, and the ball had traveled more than 10 yards, the officials awarded M.L. King the ball.
Two first downs later, the Lions were able to kneel on the ball, and advance to the quarterfinals.
Local Sports
Wildcats’ season ends with 21-18 loss to M.L. King
Valdosta finishes 9-3 after falling to Lions
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