SAVANNAH — After beating Memorial Day 29-0 on Friday, Valwood fell to Memorial Day 11-7 in game 2 of the first round of the GISA Class AA state playoffs on Saturday. However, the Valiants recovered to win the series in game 3 with a 15-6 win.
Carter Karras pitched a complete game and struck out 11 batters in game 3. He also hit three home runs and had eight RBIs.
Todd Baker went 5-for-5, Deron Smith went 3-for-5 with four runs, Alex Waldron had two hits and Troy Woodward scored three runs for the Valiants.
Valwood scored five runs in the fifth inning and four in the sixth inning.
In the game 2 loss, Jake Reeves had four strikeouts, and Casey Guilliams and Wyatt Harris had two hits apiece.
The Valiants are making their first playoff appearance in seven years. This is the first time they have advanced to the quarterfinals since 1993. Valwood hosts Heritage from Columbus on Friday.
Local Sports
Valwood baseball advances
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Nelson looks for repeat performance at Newberry
When Valdosta State’s depth chart came out the week of the Wingate game, something didn’t look right.
Ronnye Nelson, a three-year starter at running back and a captain as a junior, was missing from the starting lineup.
Not only that, Nelson wasn’t even on the two-deep roster. -
VHS freshmen win opener
The Valdosta freshman football team rushed for 202 yards, and took advantage of four Colquitt County turnovers to defeat the ninth-grade Packers 21-12 on Tuesday at Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.
Malcolm Joseph ran for 177 yards on 12 carries, and Nelson Herring added 51 more for the Wildcats, who spotted the Packers a 6-0 lead. -
Notes from the Rance Gillespie Coach’s Show
Valdosta High head football coach Rance Gillespie was happy to get another victory last Friday. The Wildcats routed Hardaway 36-0 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. They scored 29 points in the first half, and for the second week in a row, did not allow any points.
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Blazers refocusing
Valdosta State played one of its most thrilling season openers in its 29-year history last Saturday, when it beat Wingate 25-22 with a field goal as time expired.
Now it’s time to move on. -
Notes from the Lowndes High Coaches’ Show
The Lowndes Vikings lost to the McEachern Indians 23-22 in Powder Springs on Friday. Vikings head coach Randy McPherson said it was a tough game against a very good team. He said that although his team came up short, it was a great opportunity. He added that the Vikings now know what they have to work on and prepare for the rest of the season. “We haven’t lost a region game, we haven’t lost a playoff game,” McPherson said. “We’ll get better.”
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Notes from the David Dean Show
The Valdosta State Blazers beat Wingate 25-22 on Saturday, when Daniel Andersen kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired. VSU head coach David Dean said that since he came back to coach VSU in 2000, the Blazers hadn’t had a game-winning field goal until Saturday.
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Player of the Week: Valwood’s Alex Waldron
Six touchdowns.
It’s not often that a player scores six touchdowns in one football game. But that’s what Valwood’s Alex Waldron did last Friday. -
Stewart takes his 1st Cup win of the year
Ten drivers have locked up spots in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
No one is feeling better about his chances than Tony Stewart. -
Column: Blazers stick together
Last week, David Dean told the crowd at his radio show that he really liked his team’s chemistry and unity.
From an outside point of view, that was hard to see. For everyone outside of the coaching staff and locker room, that had to be proven on the field. -
Chesley Gunn repeats as Jack Oliver Invitational champion
Chesley Gunn repeated as the Jack Oliver Invitational champion, shooting a 67 on Sunday and winning the tournament by two strokes at the Valdosta Country Club.
Gunn finished the 54-hole golf tournament with a seven-under-par 209. It was his second consecutive Jack Oliver title. - More Local Sports Headlines
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