VALDOSTA— The Valdosta Wildcats saw their playoff journey come to an end on Friday night at Carrollton’s Grisham Stadium as they fell 49-13 to the Carrollton Trojans in the second round. The Wildcats struggled to find momentum against a dominant Carrollton squad led by quarterback Julian Lewis.

The Wildcats received the opening kickoff but were forced to punt after a three-and-out. Carrollton attempted to capitalize on the field position following the punt, but Valdosta’s defense forced the Trojans to punt themselves.

The Wildcats struggled to get into Carrollton territory to start the game, with flags and stifled rushes leading to early turnovers. The Trojans found success early off the arm of Lewis and carries from Kimauri Farmer. Carrollton capped off their second drive with Lewis connecting with AJ Mcneil for a 38-yard touchdown pass to take a 7-0 lead late into the first quarter.

Carrollton was all over Valdosta’s attempts to run the ball early, with Quarterback Todd Robinson finding the yards in the air to get the drives moving. Key passes to Eldemetrius Hunter, Prince Jean, and Marquis Fennell were vital to getting the Wildcats into Carrollton’s side of the field. Valdosta would lose possession on downs with a pass attempt on fourth down on the Trojans’ 35.

Valdosta’s defense worked hard to keep Carrollton at bay but struggled against the Trojans’ versatile offense. Farmer exploited the Wildcats’ defense, finding yards on many runs right through the line. A pass interference against Valdosta saved a Trojan drive, with a huge pass from Mcneil to the Wildcats’ 15-yard line to follow. Farmer found his opportunity again in Valdosta’s defense to extend Carrollton’s lead with a touchdown run. Adding trouble to Valdosta’s already tough start, Carrollton added a two-point conversion on top of the drive to go up 15-0 heading into the second quarter.

Valdosta found some success in the second quarter, reaching Carrollton’s 45-yard line after a horse collar penalty and a quarterback keeper. However, a fumble during a failed RPO exchange resulted in the ball being delivered right into the Trojans’ hands. Carrollton answered this kindness with a 62-yard touchdown pass to Mcneil into the Wildcats’ endzone. A good extra-point made the game 22-0 with 9:30 left in the second quarter. 

Once again, Valdosta started their trek up the field with an impressive one-handed catch from Eli Lewis giving some much-needed energy to the Wildcats’ team. A dart to Lewis on a following play landed the Wildcats well into Carrollton territory. After a series of incomplete passes, Robinson found his reliable target in Lewis with a 19-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 22-7. 

Carrollton quickly answered with another explosive drive, as Kai Callen would return the kickoff all the way to Valdosta’s 30-yard line. The Wildcats attempted to put up a fight and hold the Trojans, but Farmer would end up slipping past the defense for his second rushing touchdown of the night.

After another failed drive by the Wildcats, the Trojans found time in the half for one more touchdown pass with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Zion Cooley, putting Valdosta in a 36-7 uphill battle at halftime.

The Wildcats came out of the locker room determined but were unable to slow the Trojans. Carrollton added two more touchdowns in the second half, including a third Lewis-to-McNeill connection and a short run from Farmer. A fumbled PAT kept the score at 49-7.

Despite the uphill battle, Valdosta continued to fight. Running back Deron Foster capped a fourth-quarter drive with a touchdown run, but the Wildcats’ offensive struggles throughout the night prevented any significant comeback. The game would end 49-13 after a failed extra point.

Valdosta’s offense showcased a strong performance, spearheaded by Todd Robinson, who completed 20 of 37 pass attempts for 185 yards. On the ground, Todd Robinson contributed with eight carries for 47 yards. Deron Foster led the rushing attack with 20 carries for 95 yards, and Marquis Fennell added 32 yards on 10 carries. In the receiving game, Eli Lewis and Marquis Fennell stood out. Lewis hauled in 10 receptions for 102 yards, and Fennell complemented the attack with five receptions for 49 yards.