VALDOSTA — Valdosta High’s spring football practice ended with the annual spring game Friday night at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
The Wildcats’ varsity split into two teams and competed for 36 minutes (four nine-minute quarters) Friday. The White team defeated the Black team 7-3.
Justin Williams’ 3-yard run with 1:21 left in the third quarter was the only touchdown of the game.
The outcome was in the air until the final play, when a Hail Mary pass by the Black team was knocked down at the White 5.
The game was primarily a defensive showdown, as spring games usually are. Neither team gained a lot of yards, and only once did a team move the ball inside the other team’s 15-yard line (the drive that ended with Williams’ touchdown).
The Black team got on the board first. After the White team’s opening drive stalled at the Black 26, Black took over on downs. On the first play, a defensive pass interference prevented a long completion, but still gave Black 15 yards. On the next play, quarterback Avery Burney threw deep. Tyler Yelito reached for the ball, caught it and landed on his back at the 14-yard line. The drive stalled from there, but Zach Wang kicked a 36-yard field goal to give his side a 3-0 lead.
That was the only points of the first half, and Black headed to the locker room still leading by three.
The White team finally got the game’s first touchdown late in the third quarter. The drive began at the White 40 after Devonte Foster picked off a pass and returned it 23 yards. Dashay March completed a 16-yard pass on third down to Dontavius Sapp, who shed a tackle to get the first down. Black was called for pass interference on the next play, then Dhahrod Hall broke free running off left tackle, and dashed to the 8. March carried to the 3 on first-and-goal, then Williams, lined up at fullback, scored off left tackle on the next play. Cole Plymale’s extra point gave Gold a 7-3 lead.
March, the favorite to win the starting quarterback job, impressed on several plays. He showed off his ability to scramble when pressured, he took off and ran for a couple of first downs and he also completed 4-of-7 passes for 40 yards. He gained 35 yards on 10 carries, a number that included one sack.
Burney, who quarterbacked the ninth grade team to an undefeated season last year, was 4-of-11 passing for 90 yards. While his rushing totals (four yards on nine carries) were not impressive, that number also included four sacks (without the sacks, he would have gained 27 yards on five carries).
Reggie McQueen led all rushers with 54 yards on 11 carries for the Black team. Hall added 29 yards on nine carries for the White. Yelito’s 44-yard catch made him the leading receiver.
All-Region tight end Jay Rome impressed the crowd with a leaping catch on a bomb from Burney in the second quarter. The 6-foot-6 Rome ran a deep route down the sidelines, and when Burney’s throw was off, he adjusted and, with two defenders covering him, leaped and pulled down the ball. He was already out of bounds, so the completion didn’t count. But it was still an impressive catch.
The Wildcats played a lot of players on both sides Friday. Nine different players ran the ball, and seven caught passes.
The game ended the spring season for Valdosta. The Wildcats will be off until summer workouts begin in the middle of June, outside of three voluntary workouts at the end of the month.
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Defense rules Valdosta spring game
VHS spring ends with 7-3 win for the White team
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