By Austin Bruce

VALDOSTA — The Lowndes Vikings (10-1) took care of business in the first round of the playoffs, defeating North Paulding (6-5) 35-17 inside the Concrete Palace.

With the win, the Vikings will advance to the second round, where they will travel to face Buford (10-1).

For Vikings head coach Adam Carter, who was coaching in his first playoff game since arriving to Lowndes, Friday’s win was special.

“Just to be able to win a home playoff game and get to ten wins — we had a good crowd here — so we’re very very blessed,” Carter said. “To be able to come back to work on Monday is a huge deal.”

Offensively, the Vikings were efficient all night against the Wolfpack. Despite having just six possessions on the game, the Vikings scored on five of them, with the lone possession not ending in points being a kneel down to end the first half.

It all started on the opening possession of the game as quarterbacks Jayce Johnson and Marvis Parrish both broke off big runs. It was a short one yard run by Parrish though that got the Vikings on the board first.

The Wolfpack were quick to respond, scoring on a 63-yard catch-and-run by wide receiver Dube Enongene.

The Vikings kept rolling along on the ensuing drive for another touchdown. This time, it was big plays by Parrish and senior wide receiver Jaylin Carter in the passing game that led the march down the field. Parrish capped things off with another one-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal to give the Vikings a 14-7 edge.

The Vikings got their first big stop of the night on the Wolfpack’s next possession, forcing a 37-yard field goal try that went off the upright and was no good. They then turned North Paulding’s misfortune into another touchdown as Parrish scored from five yards out for his third touchdown in three tries.

Still, the Wolfpack were able to hang around, draining most of the remaining time left in the first half to kick a 28-yard field goal to make it a 21-10 halftime deficit.

North Paulding followed that up with an extensive 10-minute drive to open the second half. That drive culminated in a touchdown as running back Jaems Skelly punched it in from a yard out to make it a four point game.

Even with the offense not seeing any meaningful action for nearly an hour, the Vikings wouldn’t flinch. Instead, they once again found the end zone as Johnson ran it in for a 10-yard score to put Lowndes up 28-17.

Carter believed it was that drive that effectively saved the game.

“That’s a huge response by the offense,” Carter said. “They’ve been sitting over there. Before the half, they sat over there because North Paulding went down and scored, and then the 10-minute drive right there, so they had not played football in 45 minutes or so. To be able to come out and to put that kind of drive together to save us right there. That was the drive. That drive saved us.”

The Vikings weren’t finished, however. The Wolfpack’s potential response ended in a turnover on downs as the Viking defense stood tall on a fourth-and-eight.

Then, facing a fourth-and-eight of their own, the Vikings put the nail in the coffin. Johnson delivered a 26-yard strike to Jaylin Carter for a touchdown and the dagger.

“You look at it and if you kick it and you miss it, you only gain five yards, so it’s like you might as well give it a shot,” Carter said on the decision to go for it. “Our coaches are very confident in that particular play. There’s some option stuff there for Jayce and the receivers that they’re very confident in, and they went to it.”

Carter added: “That was a beautiful ball there, and what a catch by Jaylin Carter. At times, you got to let those kids go play and put it in their hands. It’s their team. You put in their hands and go play, and that’s what the coaches did. They found a way to get it done.”

With a date against Buford, the top-ranked team in 6A, looming, Carter says the challenge won’t necessarily be the game itself.

“Just being able to handle the trip and be able to take a night trip and handle yourself to be able to still prepare and focus and do all those things — that’ll be the challenge,” Carter said. “Going and playing there, it’s just another game for our kids. I don’t think that’ll get them. I don’t think the moment will be too big for them. It’s just a matter of going up there confident knowing that we can go out there and play with them. If we’re able to get that confidence throughout the week, I think we’ll be fine.”