Vikings review: Lowndes nets No. 1 ranking, region title in 2017

Published 12:06 pm Wednesday, November 29, 2017

VALDOSTA — Lowndes football in 2017 consisted of a high-scoring offense, an sturdy defense, reliable special teams and a lot of winning.

The Vikings finished 11-1 after a perfect 10-0 regular season led them to a Region 1-7A championship (their first region title since 2010). They set a new school record for points scored in a season with 627, shattering the previous record of 594 from last year. The offensive outpour allowed Lowndes to become the 60th team in Georgia high school history to pass 600 points in a season, according to the Georgia High School Football Historians Association. Lowndes scored 50 points or more in nine games.

Quarterback Michael Barrett rushed and passed for more than 1,000 yards for a second consecutive season. As a senior, he completed 110 of 156 passes for 1,705 yards with 16 TDs and two interceptions. He rushed for 1,195 yards on 129 attempts with 13 TDs.

As a junior, Barrett was awarded the region’s Player of the Year. He completed 132 of 217 passes for 2,760 yards with 27 touchdowns and six INTs. He also led the region in rushing with 1,192 yards on 171 carries for 21 scores.

The Vikings’ defense, helmed by veteran defensive coordinator Byron Slack in his first year with the program, surrendered 186 points, fewest since the 2013 team that appeared in the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs. The 2012 team allowed 149 points and lost in the first round of the postseason.

The defense held opponents to one score or less in seven of its 12 games, including four shutout performances.

Kicker Ashton Musgrove made 46 extra-point kicks for the Vikings’ special teams. Tyson Shaw handled kickoff and punting duty, sending many kickoffs through the back of the end zone for touchbacks and drilling a few through the uprights.

Here’s a look back at Lowndes’ thrilling season:

GAME 1: VS. VALDOSTA

This year’s Winnersville Classic was a one-sided affair. The Vikings kicked off their regular season with an emphatic 45-0 win against crosstown rival Valdosta — the largest margin of victory in the rivalry series’ history.

Entering the season opener ranked fifth in the Georgia Sports Writers Association poll, Lowndes scored four second-half touchdowns and used its defense to keep the defending Class 6A state champion Wildcats out of the end zone and end a three-game losing streak in the rivalry.

“I can’t really explain it. I’ve been waiting on this my whole entire life,” safety Tymere Moore said. “Growing up in Valdosta, that’s all you hear about: Valdosta and Lowndes. So, for me, being a part of winning this time, it’s an unbelievable feeling and I wish I could have felt it at least two more times. But we came in here and we did what we had to do.

“(People) were on us, talking about how Valdosta’s done this the past couple of years. We didn’t let it phase us. We just came out here and did what we had to do, and we put it on them tonight.”

GAME 2: VS. INTL. SCHOOL OF BROWARD (FLA.)

The Vikings were too much for the International School of Broward (Fla.) from every angle. The Pumas fielded about 22 players and made too many mistakes to have a chance at hanging with Lowndes.

Lowndes’ D picked off six passes, returning four for scores in a 56-0 rout. The Vikings raced ahead to 48-0 by the end of the first period and cruised to their second win without even throwing a pass.

The Pumas finished with an astounding minus-40 yards of offense.

GAME 3: VS. PARKVIEW

In its first top-10 test of the season, No. 4 Lowndes dominated No. 5 Parkview. The Vikings scored six first-half TDs en route to a 64-38 victory. The Vikings’ starters had been removed by the time Parkview’s offense got rolling in the fourth, where it scored four times. But the deficit was too much to overcome.

Barrett threw for 195 yards and two scores and ran for 187 yards and a rushing touchdown. Travis Tisdale ran for 105 yards and a score.

Lowndes’ D allowed its first points of the season when the Panthers made a 32-yard field goal in the first quarter. Moore led the defensive effort with eight tackles (seven solo), including two stops for losses. Fred Stewart had seven tackles (five solo).

GAME 4: VS. NEWTON

Barrett was responsible for five first-half touchdowns and the Vikings helped coach Randy McPherson earn his 150th win with the program in a 57-0 rout of Newton. McPherson was awarded the game ball by Lowndes County Schools superintendent Wes Taylor.

“We’ve got good players and we’ve got good coaches, and they gave me the ball,” McPherson said. “It’s too bad we didn’t have 120 of them.”

Lowndes compiled 422 yards of offense to the Rams’ 141, beating Newton for a fourth straight time. The Vikings scored on their first seven offensive possessions, including six in the first half. They held a commanding 42-0 lead at the half, capped by a 35-yard scoring run by Barrett after their special teams recovered an onside kick.

GAME 5: VS. SHILOH

Tisdale rushed for two touchdowns and added another receiving as the No. 2 Vikings cruised past the Shiloh Generals 55-0 on homecoming night at Martin Stadium.

“It was just my O-line holding up for me, making holes, and my quarterback doing the reads he should, giving me the ball,” Tisdale said. “I was just happy he was able to do that for me.”

The Vikings’ D produced its fourth shutout of the season. Gary Osby, Devonn Lane and TJ Harris each finished with three solo tackles.

Lowndes led 34-0 after the opening period and all scoring was competed by halftime.

GAME 6: AT WARE COUNTY

Barrett threw two touchdowns to Tayvonn Kyle as the passing game flourished in the No. 2 Vikings’ 37-6 victory against the Ware County Gators at Memorial Stadium in Waycross.

Barrett completed 12 of 18 passes for 281 yards and three scores as Lowndes remained unbeaten after its first road game since a scrimmage at Bainbridge in August. Kyle finished with five catches for 160 yards.

The Vikings led 20-6 at halftime and defense maintained pressure as Moore, Shaw and Kadeem Burgman each finished the game with six tackles.

GAME 7: VS. MT. ZION

Five Lowndes players scored rushing touchdowns, led by J.D. Lee’s three in a 68-7 romp past Mt. Zion. Lee scored on runs of 3, 10 and 2 to help the Vikings roll to a sixth straight victory.

Lowndes finished the game with 427 yards of offense to Mt. Zion’s 161. Although none of Lowndes’ scores came through the air, the team finished with a 270-48 passing differential. Barrett passed for 205 yards and Kyle gained 105 yards on four catches.

The Vikings led 14-7 after the first period and a 1-yard dive by Barrett gave them a comfortable 42-7 halftime advantage.

GAME 8: AT TIFT COUNTY

The No. 2-ranked Vikings traded scores with the No. 4 Tift County Blue Devils before a defensive stand sealed the 51-38 win for Lowndes at Brodie Field in Tifton.

Stewart intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown to give Lowndes breathing room with less than 3 minutes remaining and defense held tough the rest of the way.

“I’m very proud of this team and the effort in the second half,” McPherson said. “I told the team (Tift) was going to make the plays, especially their offense, and they did. They have a great football team. Certainly contenders, I think.”

The Vikings finished with 462 yards of offense and the Blue Devils had 479. Tisdale ran for 149 yards and three scores and Barrett rushed for 109 yards.

GAME 9: AT CAMDEN COUNTY

Barrett passed for 246 yards and rushed for 140 yards and two TDs to power the freshly anointed No. 1 Vikings to a commanding 52-10 triumph against Camden County at Chris Gilman Stadium in Kingsland.

“I felt like Camden was trying to lock in on me a lot and knew I could run,” Barrett said. “So we just kind of spread the ball out, got it to our key weapons.”

Kyle finished with a game-high 129 yards receiving on five catches with back-to-back first-quarter touchdowns. Tisdale had four receptions for 114 yards and a TD.

Lowndes’ defense surrendered just 10 points from the Wildcats’ 397 yards of offense. Will Tolbert recorded six solo tackles and Terrell Belcher had four solo stops and an interception.

The victory set the Vikings up for their shot at the region championship against Colquitt County.

GAME 10: VS. COLQUITT COUNTY

Barrett rushed for 169 yards and Tisdale had 100 yards receiving to help No. 1 Lowndes rally from a three-score deficit and out-duel the Packers 51-45 in double-overtime.

The Vikings’ D batted away a pass in double-OT to help Lowndes claim the region title in its regular-season finale.

“This is probably the happiest I’ve been in a long time,” tight end Marcus Gary said after the Vikings defeated Colquitt for the first time in five years.

The Vikings trailed as much as 35-14 before Barrett hit Kyle for a 10-yard TD late in the first half to pull it to 35-21 at the break. Osby’s 1-yard scoring dive and a Barrett-to-Shaw 2-point conversion pass tied the game at 38 in the final minute of regulation. Ghetti Brown’s 15-yard score in the second OT gave Lowndes the lead and a defensive stop earned the victory.

“Probably the most exciting football game I’ve ever been a part of,” McPherson said. “It was just an unbelievable ballgame and I’m proud of our team.”

GAME 11: VS. CAMPBELL

Energized by quick-strike plays, the No. 1-ranked Vikings jumped out to a 32-0 halftime lead against the Campbell Spartans and cruised to a 60-6 victory in the opening round of the Class 7A state playoffs.

Kyle caught a touchdown pass and returned a punt 66 yards for another score in the first half as Lowndes finished with 351 yards of offense.

The Vikings’ D turned in another impressive performance, holding the Spartans to a lone TD and 195 yards of offense.

“We needed a game like that,” Slack said. “Our plan was to stop them from running the ball, but finishing plays and making big plays — we pride ourselves in trying to score and do things of that nature when we get opportunities. And we got some opportunities.”

Jamari Hill led Lowndes with seven tackles (six solo), including two stops for losses. Moore had three solo tackles and an interception that led to a score. Shaw added a pick-six in the win.

GAME 12: VS. MCEACHERN

No. 1 Lowndes raced to a 24-point lead in the second quarter, but McEachern chipped away in the second half to hand the Vikings a stunning 36-31 loss in the second round of the Class 7A state playoffs.

Barrett ran down the right sideline for a 48-yard TD in the early stages of the third to put Lowndes ahead 31-14. Just when fans felt the game was safely back in hand, the Indians came roaring back with a fourth-quarter flurry.

McEachern, who had success throughout the game converting big offensive plays, scored a touchdown in the final minutes of the third, recovered an onside kick in the fourth and added two more scores to take the lead with 54 seconds left.

Barrett was hit as he threw a final pass into the end zone and it was intercepted to end the contest and the Vikings’ incredible season.