And then there were two. The Cook Hornets and the Clinch County Panthers are the only two high school teams in The Valdosta Daily Times’ coverage area still playing football.

Not many people would have thought that at the beginning of the season. Clinch County lost its first two games to Charlton County (no surprise) and Irwin County (big surprise). Cook barely scraped into the playoffs with a 5-5 record, and then beat a region champion and a region runner-up in the first two rounds.

Not too shabby, fellas.

Before I pick the only two games this week, I want to address the Lowndes Vikings’ shocking loss to Camden County. And yes, it is a shocking loss. Even Camden coach Jeff Herron admitted so.

The Vikings lost on the road in the playoffs for the second year in a row. But unlike last year’s loss at Grayson, I left Kingsland thinking that Camden was the better team.

Lowndes never showed up against Grayson. The Vikings were 12-0 coming into that game, and Grayson was a nobody. When I left that game, I knew the better team didn’t win. I can’t say that about last Friday’s game. The Vikings didn’t overlook Camden. They played hard, and they played pretty good football. Camden just played better. The Wildcats played lights-out on defense, and capitalized on two fumbles and an offsides penalty. That was the difference.

But there is a bigger issue at Lowndes. There are rumblings around town that the Vikings aren’t a good road team. This is the truth. Lowndes has now dropped its last three road games against top-10 teams (Grayson in 2008 and Northside and Camden in 2009).

The Vikings have become spoiled with home games at Martin Stadium. Take a look at this telling stat: Of the 13 non-region regular season games the 2009 senior class experienced in its four seasons, only three of the games were played on the road. Two of those games were at Class AAAA Ware County, and the other one was at Harrison.

Clearly, this team was not road tested.

Meanwhile, Peachtree Ridge, a perennial power in Class AAAAA, traveled to Lowndes the last two years! When I talked to Peachtree Ridge head coach Bill Ballard earlier this season, he told me that playing in Martin Stadium was a great way to get his team ready for the playoffs. He actually attributed that to his team’s postseason success in 2008.

Playing Ware County about an hour away from Martin Stadium is no way to prepare for Northside or Camden on the road.

Something has to change. Unless Lowndes wins the region every year, and gets lucky and wins multiple coin flips, they’re going to be on the road again.

Games at Martin Stadium are fun, but it’s necessary that the Vikings step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves.

Ballard told me Lowndes was interested in going to Peachtree Ridge in 2010. Bravo! This would be a step in the right direction. If the Vikings lose, so what? It’s out of region, and it’s not a playoff game.



Last week: 2-2

Overall: 71-21



While the Vikings struggle on the road, the Cook Hornets are the ultimate road warriors. Cook has won nine road playoff games this decade, the most in Georgia for all classifications.

The Hornets will need to draw on that success again when they travel to Buford, the most dominant Georgia high school team of the decade. The Wolves have appeared in seven state championship games since 2000. They have won a state title five of those seven times, including the last two years in AA.

Buford is often referred to as The University of Buford, because it has produced 53 college signees since 2000, according to the Buford Web site. Since 2006, seven Buford players have signed with SEC schools. Darius Walker, formerly of Notre Dame, went to Buford, as did Kody Case, who starts at wide receiver for Valdosta State.

Needless to say, Cook is up against it this week. I’m not sure if anyone in the state thinks the Hornets can win this game. I know I’m in that group.

Still, what a remarkable season it’s been for the Hornets, win or lose. They made the playoffs for the 10th straight year, and advanced further in the playoffs than Lowndes, Valdosta, Brooks County and Thomasville. They did all this with a new head coach, just a handful of seniors, and with a heavy heart after the passing of teammate Roy White, who died during spring practice. This is certainly a team on the rise, and one that will be heard from in the coming years. BUFORD over Cook, 38-21.

Before I get to the Clinch-Holy Innocents game, I want to toot my own horn. I picked Peachtree Ridge, Grayson and Colquitt County to advance to the AAAAA semifinals when the playoffs started. All three teams still have a chance, so hooray for me. That being said, I’d trade all three of them out for Lowndes to still be alive.

OK, the final game is Clinch County at Holy Innocents. I’ll be at this game, and I’m looking forward to it. The longer the local football season lasts, the happier I am.

The Panthers are peaking at the right time, having won seven in a row. Vintavious Cooper is the reigning VDT Player of the Week. I think it’s time that Clinch County reminds the Atlanta area that Class A football in South Georgia is still a force to be reckoned with. CLINCH COUNTY over Holy Innocents, 35-32.