Shane Thomas | The Valdosta Daily TimesValwood head coach Ashley Henderson stands on the sideline during a game against Memorial Day on Aug. 18 at Goddard Field.

HAHIRA –– After shutting out Clearwater Academy 36-0 last Friday, the Valwood Valiants (3-2) open region play against the Brookwood Warriors (3-1) tonight in Thomasville.

The Warriors haven’t been able to topple the Valiants since Oct. 15, 2010 when they escaped with a 24-21 victory at Goddard Field. It’s been all Valiants ever since, however, as the Valiants have won each of the last six meetings.

Valwood head coach Ashley Henderson expects a close game and with good reason as the Valiants took the last two games by seven points combined. 

Following Valwood’s B-team game on Thursday, Henderson praised Thomasville coach Shane Boggs for his knack for capitalizing on a team’s slightest defensive mistakes.

“First off, I think Brookwood is very well-coached,” Henderson said. “Defensively, you’ve gotta be sure you’re where you’re supposed to be at all times or Coach Boggs will find you. You’ve got to be very gap sound, have good eye discipline and know what your job is every call or he will find you. I think he’s a really good offensive coach. And then, he’s got some kids that are tough, tough kids and they obviously believe in what they’re doing and they’ve gotten off to a good start this year,”

The Valiants made quick work of the Knights last week behind a superb defensive game from lineman Isaiah Bristol. The senior recorded a team-high nine tackles and three sacks as the Valiants kept the Knights out of the red zone throughout.

It was a lethally efficient offensive showing as Valiants produced just 255 total yards en route to the 36-point performance. Guided by the playmaking of seniors Cam Walker and Sam Martin, the Valiants’ offense found the end zone five times against the Knights.

Producing points at a high rate with less than 300 yards of total offense seems relatively rare, but Henderson credits his defense and special teams unit for giving them a short field to work with consistently early on.

“Our defense keeps setting us up in such good field position and we’re making plays on special teams,” Henderson said. “We’re winning the field position battle. The other night, every one of our scoring drives, I think one time we had a drive over 50. Our defense sets up our offense nicely and our offense compliments our defense really well and is able to take advantage of those things.”

Brookwood comes into tonight’s game looking to get sharper after working through sloppy play against Westwood last week. Though the Warriors and Wildcats combined for nine turnovers in last week’s game, the Warriors made enough of the right plays en route to a 24-7 win.

The Warriors scored 21 of their 24 points during a five-minute stretch in the third quarter. In addition to their offensive explosion, the Warriors also recovered three fumbles and snagged an interception for good measure.

“That’s the name of the game once you get to region play––taking care of the football, blocking and tackling,” Henderson said. “You’ve got to put a premium on ball security and trying to get the ball away from them. We have to come out, start fast and play to our strengths. 

“They play well when they get ahead––Shane (Boggs) does a really good job offensively and their defense is very opportunistic. They created a bunch of turnovers last week (against Westwood) and I think they’re a really good bunch, too. The only time they gave up a ton of points was against Lafayette from Florida and they’re a public school. They’re battle-tested, very well-coached on both sides of the ball and good on special teams so it’s going to be a four-quarter game like it always is with Brookwood.”

Personnel-wise, the Valiants and Warriors look quite similar. Both teams excel at creating turnovers and turning their offense into defense in a hurry. When asked if he sees similarities between the teams, Henderson readily agrees.

“I think there are a lot of similarities between our two teams,” Henderson said. “We do some of the same things offensively that they do. They’re multiple in their defensive fronts like we are. Shane’s an offensive guy, I’m an offensive guy but we put a premium on special teams and defense as well. It’s a big game, it’s the first region game and you want to get off to a good start and try to put one team behind you so, to me, it’s the biggest game of the year.”

During the Valiants’ six-game winning streak against the Warriors, only four games were decided by seven points or fewer. From 2012 to 2014, the Valiants outgunned the Warriors a combined 142-27. With recent games coming down to a couple big plays to win late, Henderson insists the game rests on the shoulders of the playmakers to decide the outcome.

“Like they always say, there’s about six or seven plays in the course of a game that determine the outcome,” Henderson said. “It’s up to our playmakers to make those plays but you’ve got to play every play like it’s the most important play of the game and leave it all on the field. You don’t know which one is gonna be one of those plays that could determine the outcome. Two years ago, we went to Thomasville and beat them by a possession. Last year, they were leading the whole game and we scored with very little time on the clock to win. It’s always come down to a couple plays here or there and I don’t see why this year would be any different.”

Tonight’s game can be heard on 1150 AM and 96.1 FM.