By Christian Malone | The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA — After winning three straight must-win games at the end of the regular season, the Valdosta Wildcats are now in the playoffs.
Valdosta (7-3) won its last three football games (over region foes Coffee, Tift County and Houston County), and earned the fourth seed from Region 1-AAAAA with a 4-3 region record.
Valdosta and Warner Robins actually tied for fourth in the region, but the Wildcats earned the tiebreaker, thanks to a 14-7 win over the Demons on Sept. 26.
The Wildcats are glad to be in the playoffs.
“This is where we want to be,” Valdosta head coach Rick Tomberlin said. “Our spirits are high, our morale is high, our confidence is high. We’re the healthiest we’ve been all year. We’re probably playing the best we’ve played since I’ve been here. I feel real good about our team.”
Valdosta wrapped up its playoff berth with a 45-6 rout of Houston County last Saturday. The Wildcats dominated the first three quarters, scoring 45 points and shutting down the Bears’ offense, then let their reserves play the final 15 minutes. After the win, they made the two-hour drive back to Valdosta knowing that a spot in the postseason was theirs.
The Wildcats’ first-round game will be a tough one. They travel to No. 4 Newnan this Friday.
“We’re playing a 10-0 team that’s the Region (4-AAAAA) champion and ranked No. 4 in the state,” Tomberlin said. “We’re going to play a top-flight team, no question about it. And we’re playing them on the road.”
Chad Prain will lead the Wildcats into battle this Friday night. The last two weeks, Prain has stepped in at quarterback and led Valdosta to convincing wins over Tift (35-14) and Houston (45-6). In those two games, Prain ran for 237 yards and five touchdowns, while passing for 220 yards and one touchdown.
Prain’s outstanding play the last two weeks has earned him the starting quarterback job.
“Chad is doing great,” Tomberlin said. “He’s our quarterback. He has played magnificently, he’s been a great leader, a great field general. He’s thrown well, he’s run well, he gets the play communicated in the huddle. He’s a tiger, he’s a fighter, he’s a Wildcat. I could not be prouder of him. I’m pleased with the job he’s done.”
DaShay March returns to the Wildcats’ lineup, after missing the last two games. March is now the second-string quarterback, but Valdosta plans to use him at other positions, to take advantage of his playmaking ability.
“DaShay will play. We’re going to play him at a couple of positions,” Tomberlin said. “We’re going to play him some at receiver, we’re going to play him some at running back, we’re going to play him some at defensive back, and on punt returns and kick returns.”
Tomberlin said that, as of Tuesday, all of Valdosta’s players are healthy, and that every player on the Wildcats’ roster would be available to play on Friday.
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Bus taking fans to Valdosta-Newnan game
The Valdosta Touchdown Club has reserved a charter bus to take fans to the Wildcats' first-round playoff game at Newnan on Friday night. The bus will leave at 1 p.m. on Friday, and will return after the game. Seats on the bus are $40 per person, and can be purchased at the Valdosta ticket office, located in the Valdosta City Schools' Central Office at 1204 Williams Street, next to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.
The $40 cost does not include a ticket to the game, but game tickets can also be purchased at the VHS ticket office. For more information, contact Terry Daniel at (229) 333-8500.
