By Christian Malone
VALDOSTA — Lowndes High head coach Randy McPherson constantly preaches team football.
He says the 2007 Vikings do a great job of playing as a team.
“Every once in a while, you get a team that really buys into the team concept,” McPherson said. “I’ve never seen a group buy into that the way this team has.”
That team will face Camden County in the Class AAAAA state semifinals at 9 p.m. Saturday night in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.
Playing good football requires playing as a team. Nowhere in Georgia prep football is that more evident than in Lowndes County, where the three high school teams have combined for 31 state championships, winning some of them over teams with more individual talent.
“They are sold into the concept that the only way we’re going to have a shot to win it all is as a team,” McPherson said. “I love that about this team. You’ve got kids helping on offense, helping on defense. It’s just a team deal. I wouldn’t trade any of these guys, I’ll tell you that. Not a one.”
Lowndes runs an offense, the wing-T, that emphasizes team over individual. There are three running backs in the offense, and the carries are generally split between the three. Rarely does one back dominate in the statistics. So the backs have to be team-oriented. At Lowndes, wingback Darriet Perry has rushed for 1,110 yards, but teammate Greg Reid has gained 654 yards, fullback Adrian Hargett has rushed for over 500, and fellow fullback Tavaris Williams has close to 300. Quarterback Khary Franklin also has around 300.
“It doesn’t matter who does what to these guys. They do it as a team,” McPherson said. “That’s what I love about the wing-T. It’s a team deal.”
The offensive line also needs to block as a team, and for everyone to do their assignment. Lowndes’ linemen are not huge, but the unit — tackles Levi Vedas and Ed Christian, guards Layne Grant and Brady Brantley, center Ethan Barwick and tight end Jordan Black — has opened holes for the running backs all season long.
McPherson also points to the team’s offseason conditioning program as a reason for its success.
“Another thing about this team is they’ve had a great year in the weight room. Very strong,” McPherson said.
This Lowndes team is also a young team. The Vikings start only four seniors on each side of the ball — Perry, Hargett, Barwick and Vedas on offense and cornerback Kelly Dawsey, Williams, linebacker Blake Summers and defensive tackle T.J. Manning on defense. The rest of the team will be back next year.
“We’ve got eight seniors (starting),” McPherson said.
Tickets for Saturday’s Lowndes-Camden game are on sale at the Lowndes ticket office. Tickets will be $15 per day, as set by the Georgia High School Association. This price covers all five games played on Saturday.
The ticket office will be open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Tickets will also be available at the gate, but purchasing them in advance can help fans avoid the long line at the game.
