VALDOSTA — For the second week in a row, the Valdosta Wildcats dominated their opposition.
Valdosta routed Windsor Forest 55-6 Friday night at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. The Wildcats (2-0) scored eight touchdowns and amassed 423 yards of total offense in the victory.
“I was pleased. I thought it was a success all the way around,” Valdosta head coach Rick Tomberlin said. “I thought we played well. The offense looked good, the defense looked good and the special teams looked good. It’s good to get a win.
“There were a lot of positives. I feel good about our guys.”
Valdosta quarterback DaShay March had another big game. March completed 7-of-9 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 50 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
“I wouldn’t trade him for any (quarterback) I’ve seen. I think he’s perfect for what we want to do,” Tomberlin said. “He wants to be good. He wants to be successful on every play. He’s going to keep growing, and help us get where we need to get.”
March’s favorite target was All-Region tight end Jay Rome, who caught four passes for 96 yards and a touchdown.
“Jay came out and played well tonight,” Tomberlin said. “I think Jay’s very, very special. He’s just a winner.”
The Wildcats also rushed for 260 yards, spread out amongst 11 ballcarriers, and the offensive line opened holes all night.
It took Valdosta just two offensive plays to score their first touchdown Friday night. On second-and-10 from the Knights’ 48-yard line, March threw long, and hit Malcolm Mitchell in stride. The speedy Mitchell was wide open, well behind the closest defender, and he sprinted into the end zone for a touchdown. Zach Wang’s extra point gave the Wildcats a 7-0 lead.
Valdosta doubled its lead at the start of the second quarter with a seven-play, 66-yard drive. The big play was a 33-yard pass from March to Rome, down to the VHS 22. Two plays later, Dhahrod Hall took a handoff going right, and outran the defense to the end zone for the touchdown.
Windsor Forest responded with a long drive for a touchdown. Knights quarterback Donovan Campbell completed all six pass attempts on the drive, including an 18-yarder to Aaron Hughes on fourth-and-5 from the VHS 24. On second-and-goal from the 6, Campbell took the snap and raced up the middle on a quarterback draw, and crossed the goal line untouched for the score, cutting Valdosta’s lead to 14-6.
With less than two minutes remaining in the first half, Valdosta’s lead was still only eight points. But that would quickly change. The Wildcats scored two touchdowns in the final 87 seconds of the half.
First March led the Wildcats down the field for their third touchdown. He moved the team into Knights territory with two passes, then had a 22-yard run down to the 11-yard line. On the next play, Phillip Moore went right and raced into the end zone to make it 21-6 with 1:27 left in the half.
Windsor Forest went three-and-out, then punted, and Valdosta took over at the Knights’ 48 with 20 seconds left in the half. On the first play, March found a wide open Rome across the middle of the field. Rome caught the ball, forced a diving defender to miss him, then sprinted into the end zone for a touchdown. That gave Valdosta a 28-6 lead heading into halftime.
“I thought our offensive coaches did a real fine job, getting the ball in the end zone right before the half,” Tomberlin said.
Valdosta’s offensive onslaught continued in the second half, as the Wildcats added 27 more points to turn the game into a rout.
The Wildcats drove 66 yards for another touchdown on the first possession of the second half. Hall’s 33-yard run moved the ball to the Windsor 20, and three plays later, on third-and-8, March saw an opening, went left and outran the defense to the end zone, increasing Valdosta’s lead to 35-6.
The Wildcats’ defense forced Windsor to go three-and-out, then Mitchell returned a punt down to the 14. Valdosta moved the ball to the 2, then Devonte Doe powered across the goal line on a fullback dive, making it 42-6.
Because Valdosta had a big lead, the fourth quarter was played with a running clock. The Wildcats played the final period with their second- and third-teamers, but still added two more touchdowns.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Valdosta ran the ball on all 12 plays of a 76-yard drive. Brian Anderson’s 5-yard touchdown run with 8:39 left made it 49-6.
On Valdosta’s final drive, Marquis McKinnon had a 24-yard run, then raced 15 yards on the next play for the Wildcats’ final score.
Valdosta hosts Jonesboro next week for its Homecoming game.
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’Cats claw the Knights, 55-6
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