Paul Leavy | Special to the TimesValdosta wide receiver Abel Norwood (16) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter of a GHSA Class 6A state quarterfinal game against Richmond Hill on Friday.

RICHMOND HILL –– The Valdosta Wildcats had their state championship hopes come to a sudden end here Friday night in the Class 6A state quarterfinals against Richmond Hill.

On a mistake-filled night for visiting Wildcats, the hometown Wildcats took advantage and pulled off a 16-14 victory on their home field at the appropriately named Wildcat Stadium. 

“We’re a better team than the one we played like tonight,” Rodemaker said. “But give them credit. They outplayed us and were better than us tonight.”

The fourth-ranked Wildcats finish their season with a 10-3 record. They have now lost back-to-back games in the quarterfinals after falling in round two the year after winning its last state championship in 2016.  

Richmond Hill, now 9-3, will move on to the semifinals for the first time in school history and will take on Allatoona next week for a spot in the state title game. Richmond Hill was making just its second-ever apearance in the quarterfinals.

“I told our kids it wasn’t a scoreboard-game, not to look at the scoreboard,” said Richmond Hill head coach Matt LeZotte. “It was a four-quarter title bout. We would see who could throw a punch, take punches and keep coming back. I’m so proud of our guys.”

Valdosta finished with 304 yards to only 212 by Richmond Hill, but four turnovers including three in the first half and a few costly penalties led to the Wildcats’ demise. 

The biggest penalty was a controversial roughing call on the Richmond Hill kicker by the Wildcats after a missed field goal late in the third quarter with Valdosta clinging to a 14-9 lead. The infraction allowed Richmond Hill to keep possession and gave the home team a fresh set of downs at the Valdosta 11-yard-line. Valdosta head coach Alan Rodemaker called a timeout and expressed his disagreement with the penalty to the lead official, but the penalty would stand as called.

Two plays later, Richmond Hill scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Tyler Coleman to Isaiah Allen who caught the ball over a Valdosta defender in the left corner for the touchdown. Richmond Hill planned to go for two points, but after a false start penalty, elected to kick the extra point for the 16-14 lead with 2:42 left in the third period. 

Valdosta, which trailed 9-7 at halftime, had regained the lead on its previous possession when Tate Rodemaker, who threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns, hit Able Norwood in the middle of the field on a crossing pattern for a 16-yard touchdown pass after the Wildcats got the ball at the Richmond Hill 18-yard line following a fumble. 

Richmond Hill started its next drive inside Valdosta territory following a 57-yard kick return by senior running back Jalen Rouse who broke free from a pile at his own 25 and raced into Valdosta territory before he was chased down. 

The next time Valdosta had the ball, the Wildcats appeared to pick up a first down at the Richmond Hill 34 on a third-and-7 completion from Rodemaker to Javonte Sherman, but a holding penalty kept the team from moving the chains. Valdosta ended up punting the ball on fourth-and-8 from Richmond Hill’s 43 on the final play of the third period.

The Wildcats would force a 3-and-out to start the closing quarter, but Richmond Hill’s punt was misplayed in the air and the home team kept the ball on Valdosta’s fourth turnover of the night. Again, the Valdosta defense would give up only 3 yards and force a punt after three plays. Richmond Hill’s Coleman, who is both quarterback and punter, pinned the Wildcats deep with a kick that the home team downed at the 2. 

The Valdosta offense returned to the field with 9:04 to go, and as it turned out, this next possession would be its last. The Wildcats moved to midfield in less than three minutes and converted on fourth-and-3 from the Richmond Hill 46 on a 7-yard pass to the 39 from Rodemaker to Norwood. 

The Wildcats gained 7 yards on their next two snaps, but after losing 4 yards on a rush, they faced another fourth down. This time, Rodemaker’s pass on fourth-and-7 was broken up on the Richmond Hill sideline near the line to gain.

With 3:26 to go, Richmond Hill took over at its 36 and gave the ball to Rouse two straight times for gains of 5 and 7 yards to move the sticks. Valdosta was out of timeouts and couldn’t stop the clock, so Richmond Hill was able to kneel on the ball three straight times to run out the clock. Rouse, who ran for 210 yards last week, had 21 carries for 76 yards on Friday. 

“I’m sick for our seniors right now,” Rodemaker said. “We had some guys banged up and they fought through it. Our kids played hard, but we just didn’t play well.

“I thought we had as good a chance as anyone left, but we weren’t the best team out there tonight.”

Valdosta scored on its first possession when an overthrown ball was tipped and fell into the arms of Jaylin Alderman who ran to the end zone to complete the unlikely 37-yard scoring play. 

But Valdosta would turn over the ball on its next three possessions. The Wildcats lost a fumble at the Richmond Hill 10. They also gave the home team the ball at the Valdosta 17 following a mishandled pitch and lost the ball on an interception at the Richmond Hill 21. 

Richmond Hill scored on field goals of 40, 22 and 37 yards before halftime for its 9-7 lead at intermission.