VALDOSTA — The Lowndes Vikings are moving on to the next round.
Lowndes (10-1) defeated East Coweta 52-14 in the first round of the Class AAAAA state playoffs. The Vikings rolled up 485 yards of total offense, including 380 yards on the ground, and scored on their final six possessions Friday night at Martin Stadium.
Khary Franklin rushed for 145 yards on 10 carries, and scored two touchdowns for the Vikings. Troy Braswell gained 118 yards on nine carries, and had one touchdown.
“I’m real proud of the kids and the coaches,” Lowndes head coach Randy McPherson said. “They played hard. I think it’s a big win.”
The Vikings will travel to Kingsland next Friday to face Camden County (9-2), in a matchup of the two teams that own five of the last six AAAAA state championships.
For nearly two quarters on Friday, East Coweta (7-4) kept the game close. With less than a minute remaining in the first half, Lowndes held a 10-7 lead. Then the Vikings took control, and dominated the rest of the game, scoring 35 unanswered points and punching their ticket to the second round.
The Vikings won the game in classic Lowndes fashion. The defense limited East Coweta to just seven points in the first 42 minutes, and Lowndes consistently moved the ball with its outstanding running game.
It took Lowndes just two offensive plays to get on the board Friday night. After East Coweta went three-and-out on the game’s opening possession, the Vikings took over at the Indians’ 45-yard line. On second-and-7 from the 42, Braswell got the ball on a toss sweep. When Braswell turned the corner, he saw nothing but daylight in front of him, and raced 42 yards into the end zone for the game’s first score, giving Lowndes a 7-0 lead.
Early in the second quarter, Lowndes drove into the red zone. Robert Anderson’s 13-yard run and a 21-yard run by Braswell helped the Vikings reach the Indians’ 12. On fourth down, Jed Solomon kicked a 34-yard field goal, increasing Lowndes’ lead to 10-0.
But East Coweta responded with an 11-play, 79-yard scoring drive. On first-and-10 from the Lowndes 11, Tay Willis went right on a toss sweep, broke a tackle at the 4, and ran into the end zone for a touchdown. Mikey Zeidler’s extra point cut the Vikings’ lead to 10-7.
“(East Coweta) played hard,” McPherson said. “They’ve got a good running back (Willis).”
In the final minute of the first half, Franklin returned a punt into Indians territory. Franklin’s 9-yard run and a 12-yard run by Braswell moved the ball to the East Coweta 22. Then quarterback Cole Parker dropped back and fired a strike to Aaron Winston in the end zone for a touchdown with 16 seconds left in the half. Lowndes headed to the locker room leading 17-7.
It took Lowndes just 18 seconds to extend its lead in the second half. On the first play from scrimmage, Franklin took the handoff going left. He found an opening, and raced 80 yards down the field for a touchdown, making it 24-7 Vikings.
After a three-and-out, Lowndes got the ball back, and went 61 yards in five plays for another score. The big play came on first-and-10 from the Indians’ 36, when Braswell hauled in Parker’s pass at the 1-foot line. Franklin scored on the next play, making it 31-7.
East Coweta drove to the Viking 34 on the ensuing possession, but turned the ball over on downs. After the defensive stop, it took Lowndes just five plays to put seven more points on the board. Four straight runs and a facemask penalty moved the ball to the Indian 10. Then on first down, Parker faked the handoff and threw the ball to Anderson in the flat. The Vikings’ fullback caught the ball near the 5, and ran into the end zone to make it 38-7.
On the first play of Lowndes’ next possession, Parker found Winston for 36 yards, down to the East Coweta 11. Four plays later, Sam Duncan scored on a 1-yard run, giving the Vikings a 45-7 lead with 11:07 left in the game.
With Lowndes’ second-string defense in the game, East Coweta drove for a touchdown. Austin Ingram’s 19-yard pass to K.J. Hill made it 45-14.
Lowndes’ reserves put the final touchdown on the board for the Vikings, going 65 yards in five plays. James Battle had the big play on the drive, racing 44 yards, down to the Indian 3. Mike Moore ran the ball into the end zone on the next play, making the final score 52-14.
“I’m real proud of our team. This was a good win for us,” McPherson said.
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