Adam MacDonald
The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA —
There is an awful lot to digest after Lowndes’ thrilling game against McEachern. That was about as wild of a game as I can remember, certainly the most entertaining and exciting Lowndes game I’ve covered in two years. Here are a few thoughts about it, and what I think it means.
1. The sky is not falling for the Vikings. Yes, it was another gut-wrenching road loss to a top 10 Class AAAAA team, but it wasn’t in the playoffs and it wasn’t in the region. The season isn’t over and the loss means nothing as far as playoff seeding.
The Vikings played well enough to win that game, which is more than can be said for the Grayson loss in 2008 or even the Camden County loss last year.
Friday’s game was odd. In a game with a ton of wacky plays, it all came down to one play, and it was a play McEachern won by an inch. Quarterback Dondre Purnell barely crossed the goal line with three seconds left as he was hit by three Vikings. If he’s stopped short, he’s probably in bounds and the clock runs out. The Vikings win. But Purnell got the inch he needed and the Indians won.
Funny how, in a 60 minute game, it came down to one play and a couple of inches. This is why Vikings fans shouldn’t fret. That’s how close you were to 3-0. Maybe next time you get the inch.
2. One of the unfortunate things about an ending like that is great individual efforts get lost in the shuffle. Before Purnell scored that game-winning touchdown, Lowndes cornerback Carey Stanley made some incredible game-saving plays. McEachern has some big receivers, and Purnell went to them three times in the end zone at the end of the game, and Stanley broke up all three passes. He also broke up passes earlier in the game.
The one mistake Stanley made wasn’t completely his fault. He missed a tackle on Victor Brannon’s 58-yard touchdown catch-and-run in the third quarter, but Brannon is about twice Stanley’s size and Stanley wasn’t covering him on the play.
The bottom line is when Stanley is in one-on-one coverage and the ball is in the air, expect him to make a spectacular play. The kid can play.
3. With Stanley and fellow cornerback Kenneth Durden making exceptional plays on the ball, the sidelines were taken away from McEachern. However, the Indians found a weakness in the Vikings’ defense that certainly other teams will try to exploit. The deep middle of the field is where an offense can hurt the Vikings. Too many times the Indians completed long passes down the seam. It could have happened several times in the first half, but the Indians’ other quarterback, Trent Thompson, continuously overshot his man. Purnell did not on the game-winning drive. He found Chris Davis on a 48-yard pass play that swung momentum right back to the Indians.
4. It could be that the Vikings’ pass defense in the middle of the field isn’t so bad, it’s just that McEachern is that good. The Indians’ receiving corps of Rory Anderson, Davis and Amba Etta-Tawo is about as big and talented as it gets. All three have great hands, run great routes and make plays. They’ll all be playing Division I football somewhere soon.
Really, the whole McEachern team was impressive. Purnell is probably the starting quarterback for the rest of the season, and linebacker Marquis Roberts was an absolute terror. His hits could be heard from the press box.
Lowndes head coach Randy McPherson wasn’t blowing smoke when he said he believed the Indians were state contenders. They have the talent and the team to go a long way.
5. Region 1-AAAAA’s champion will definitely be decided on Oct. 8 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in the Winnersville Classic. After Colquitt County fell to 0-3 with a loss at Thomas County Central, it’s clear that the region is a two-horse race between Lowndes and Valdosta.
While Region 1-AAAAA is about as open and shut as it gets, Class AAAAA is wide open ... after Camden County. The Wildcats on the coast beat the No. 2 team in the country in Miami Central.
This win made the two-time defending state champs the hands down favorite, even though only three starters from last year return.
As for the rest of Class AAAAA, who knows who is going to challenge Camden County? Lowndes, Valdosta, McEachern, South Gwinnett, Newnan, Stephenson, Peachtree Ridge, the list goes on and on. None of the top-tier teams have made that early season statement yet. It could take a while, maybe even deep into the playoffs.
