VALDOSTA — The local football season is halfway complete. Every team, except for Cook and Berrien, played their fifth games of the season on Friday night. The Hornets and Rebels will play their fifth games of the year this week.

Regardless, the local football season’s regular season schedule is halfway complete. The season will likely be extended for several teams once the playoffs begin, although nothing is guaranteed.

The first half of the season brought some exciting games, such as Brooks County knocking off Valdosta for the first-ever time. The second half will surely bring more marquee games as teams compete within their region schedules.

If the playoffs were to begin this week, six local area teams would be playoff bound, while Valdosta and Lanier County would be left out of the run for state championships in their respective classifications.

Luckily, there is plenty of time for teams to change their playoff status.

Here is a team-by-team preview of the second half of the local football season:



Lowndes Vikings (5-0)

Currently one of three teams from Region 1-6A that have a 1-0 region record, and just one of two that have an undefeated overall record, the Vikings put themselves into contention for a region championship with a 17-14 victory over the Colquitt County Packers Friday night in Moultrie.

The Lowndes defense is allowing just seven points per game, while the offense is averaging 38 points per contest. The road ahead isn’t easy for Lowndes. The Vikings have home region games against Brunswick, Coffee and Camden County, who blew out Valdosta last week. The Vikings hit the road two more times this season, visiting crosstown rival Valdosta and traveling north on I-75 to Tift County.



Valdosta Wildcats (3-2)

The Wildcats have two losses the earliest in a season under head coach Rance Gillespie. After losses to Brooks County, in non-region play, and an in-region loss to Camden County Friday night, the Wildcats are idle this week and will start preparing for their clash with the Vikings in the upcoming Winnersville Classic, set for Oct. 12 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.

Following the showdown with Lowndes, Valdosta hits the road for its first official road game of the season with a trip to Tift County Oct. 19. The Wildcats close the season with a home game against Colquitt County Oct. 26, and back-to-back road games at Brunswick and Coffee.



Valdosta State Blazers (3-2)

The Blazers are at the midway point of the college football season with just a 3-2 record, after losses to Saginaw Valley State and West Alabama. On Saturday, the Blazers blew out NAIA sleeper Edward Waters. This week, Valdosta State returns to Gulf South Conference action with a road game at West Georgia. The Blazers will then face North Alabama in Florence, Ala. before hosting arch-rival Delta State Oct. 20 for homecoming. The Blazers have a pair of back-to-back Thursday night games to close out the regular season. The Blazers will visit GSC newcomer Shorter Oct. 27 before hosting Texas A&M-Kingsville Nov. 1 in the regular season finale. Valdosta State has made the playoffs just once in the past three seasons.



Valwood Valiants (5-0)

Valwood is 5-0 for the third straight season, although a victory Friday would be Valwood’s first 6-0 start since 1992, when the Valiants started 8-0. This week, the Valiants host Sherwood Christian at Goddard Field. All five of Valwood’s final games of the season are region contests, including back-to-back games to close out the regular season, both on the road, against Brookwood and Southwest Georgia.



Brooks County Trojans (5-0)

The Trojans are 5-0 for the first time since the 1995. After upsetting Valdosta earlier this season, the Trojans have enjoyed a week off and back-to-back dominating victories over Mitchell County and Early County. This week, head coach Maurice Freeman and his Trojans visit the struggling Thomasville Bulldogs. Other games this season include: a rematch of last year’s Region 1-AA championship game with Fitzgerald, which will be played at Veterans Stadium in Quitman, and a final home game against the red-hot Cook Hornets. The Trojans will also face Pelham and Berrien on the road before beginning the playoffs.



Cook Hornets (4-0)

After being blown out in their scrimmage game with the Coffee Trojans, the Cook Hornets have raced out to a convincing 4-0 start behind strong offense and an even stronger defense. The Hornets have allowed just two touchdowns through the first four games, both of which came in a 42-14 win over the Dougherty Trojans. This week, the Hornets will face their toughest test of the season when they visit the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes in Fitzgerald. Then, the Hornets face Jefferson County in non-region action, before jumping back into region play against Brooks County on Oct. 26. Cook closes out the regular season with games versus Berrien and at Early County.



Berrien Rebels (2-2)

If the playoffs were to start this week, the Berrien Rebels would be the fourth seed out of Region 1-AA, simply because they have yet to play a region game. This week, the Rebels open region play against an Early County team that is coming off a dominating loss to Brooks County. The game will be played in Nashville. Following this week’s game, the Rebels visit Thomasville, host Fitzgerald, visit Pelham and Cook and host Brooks County. The Rebels have not made the playoffs since participating in a region playoff game against Waycross at the of the 1993 season.



Lanier County Bulldogs (2-3)

After starting their season with a win over Atkinson County, the Bulldogs have dropped three of their last four games to fall to 2-3 on the season. Things won’t get much easier for Lanier County this week as the Bulldogs visit ranked Wilcox County, one of the top teams in Class A. Then, the Bulldogs host Charlton County Oct. 12, visit Irwin County Oct. 19, host Telfair County Oct. 26 and visit Clinch County Nov. 2.



Clinch County Panthers (3-2)

After being embarrassed in the season opener against the Brooks County Trojans, the Panthers have bounced back to win three of their last four games, including two straight. Last week, the Panthers beat Telfair County 17-9 to improve to 1-0 in Region 2-A. This week, Clinch County hosts Irwin County at Donald Tison Field, followed by a visit from Wilcox County. The Panthers travel to Charlton County Oct. 26 before hosting Lanier County and visiting Turner County to finish the regular season. The Panthers have qualified for the playoffs every season under head coach Jim Dickerson, dating back to the 2003 season.