BARNESVILLE —
Lamar County didn't take long to make a statement about how it stacked up against a region considered one of the best in the state's GHSA Class AA classification on Friday, with the Region 4-AA champion Trojans routing visiting Cook 51-13.
“We definitely had a chip on our shoulder. All week, we heard about Region One. We just came in and proved what we had to do,” Lamar County quarterback Lance Austin said.
And although Lamar County rolled up more than 350 yards and saw four different players score touchdowns out of its wing-T offense, it was the Trojans defense which set the early tone.
“Our offense was able to go out there and get them to punt on their first series, and our offense just picked it up and went from there,” Lamar County head coach Franklin Stephens said. “It just a tribute to our kids playing hard and executing. Our kids were executing very well.”
Lamar County (9-0-1) advances to host either Laney or Benedictine in the second round while Cook finishes its season at 7-4.
Cook, which came in with a potentially explosive spread offense led by quarterback Ross Pickle, was stymied for most of the night, starting on its first offensive drive when it was was forced to a three-and-out. Lamar County took advantage, easily driving downfield in five plays to lead 7-0 when Austin found his way into the end zone on a five-yard quarterback keeper. Austin scored again later in the first quarter, an early strike which the Hornets never recovered from. Other than two scoring drives, Cook never got much going offensively. Minus a late-game drive against Lamar County's second-string defense and the Hornets running a wildcat-style offensive formation, Cook was held to just seven points.
Playing from behind, Cook rolled the dice, going for it on fourth down three times from its own territory, coming up short each time.
Pickle finished 5-of-12 passsing for 38 yards with an interception and rushed for 32 yards and scored Cook's first touchdown of the game - from three yards out just before halftime.
By then, Lamar County had things well in hand, ahead 30-6. Grant Wilson led Cook on the ground with 51 yards.
The homestanding Trojans, on the other hand, had no such trouble. As limited as Cook's offense was, Lamar's was that much more efficent. Whether it was the pSower running up the middle by Jeremy Fletcher, who ended up as the game's leading rusher with 87 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown or the ability of Lawrence Austin and Antwan Wallace to get away from tackles in space, the Trojans appeared to be a well-oiled offensive machine on Friday.
Up 14-0 early in the second quarter, Lawrence Austin fooled the Cook defense on a misdirection play. 29 yards later, he was in the end zone for a touchdown and 21-0 lead for the Trojans. Lamar County simply kept the hammer down from there, leading 30-0 when a Tyler Scandrett field goal followed right away by a fumble returned 15 yards for a touchdown by Quay Searcy added to the first-half dominance.
Wallace scored twice in the third quarter, catching Cook's defense off-guard on end-arounds each time from 52 and 21 yards out.
“We realize that this is a tremendous win for us because we realize that this is where the upsets happen,” Stephens said.
Local Sports
Lamar County blows over Cook, 51-13
- Local Sports
-
-
Blazers fall to Molloy in eight innings
With only one out remaining and trailing by three, the Molloy Lions strung together four hits to plate three runs in the seventh followed by another run in the eighth inning to defeat Valdosta State’s softball team 5-4 in the first round of the 2013 Division II Softball National Championship Tournament on Thursday in Salem, Va.
-
Albritton, Johnson earn All-America honors
Valdosta State softball players Courtney Albritton and Morgan Johnson gathered multiple All-America honors late Wednesday night.
-
Golfers take course for Wounded Warriors
Local patrons participated in the Wounded Warrior Project Golf Tournament at Stone Creek Golf Club in Valdosta on Thursday.
-
Valwood football hosting 4-man scramble golf tourney
Head coach Ashley Henderson and the Valwood football team will be hosting a 4-man scramble golf tournament at Valdosta Country Club Friday, June 14.
-
VHS football cheerleaders to host Junior Cheer Camp
The Valdosta High School football cheerleaders will be hosting a Junior Cheer Camp June 5 through June 7 at the W.G. Nunn Elementary School gymnasium.
-
Gillespie, McPherson pleased with spring practices
Valdosta’s Rance Gillespie and Lowndes’ Randy McPherson both think their football teams got better during the recent 10 days of spring practice.
Then again, both coaches know their teams have a ways to go before the start of the football season. -
Signing day at VHS
It was signing day galore at Valdosta High School Wednesday.
Six student-athletes signed national letter of intents to compete at the next level, while two VHS athletes both signed academic scholarships to Division I universities. -
Powell signs with Shorter
Robert Powell, a member of the basketball team on South Georgia State College’s Waycross Campus, has signed a letter of intent to continue his basketball career at Shorter University in Rome.
-
Sending the Blazers off
The Valdosta State softball team made the long journey to Salem, Va. Tuesday, leaving Valdosta at 10:30 a.m. with devoted fans cheering them out of the parking lot.
-
All-Region teams announced
Lowndes was one win away from a trip to the Class AAAAAA state semifinals, and the success by the Vikings this season showed when the All-Region 1 baseball teams were announced Monday.
- More Local Sports Headlines
-
