By Bryant Roberts

CHULA — The No. 3 Valwood Valiants traveled to Chula for the second time in 3 weeks to take on the No. 2 TIftarea Academy Panthers with a trip to the GIAA AAA state championship on the line. In another classic between the two squads, Valwood won in overtime, 27-21.

These two teams had last met on Nov. first, with the Panthers walking away with a 28-21 win, along with the 2024 GIAA AAA Region 3 championship.

Much like the first game, the Panthers offense controlled most of the first quarter clock, taking off eight minutes on a 12-play, 58 yard drive that ended after a pressure by Deonte Henley and Gavin Chambers forced an incomplete pass on fourth-and-2 at the VAL 36 yard line.

After a penalty on the first play of the Valiants drive set the offense back 5 yards, Triston White picked up 9 yards on first-and-15. After only picking up a yard on second down, the Valiants were faced with a third-and-6 early.

On the third down play, White looked to pick up the first down, but the run would be negated after a penalty on the Valiants. Asher Wells would try to connect with White on a screen pass, but would have to rush the throw with the Panthers defense already in the backfield. After the incomplete pass, the Valiants punted back to the Panthers.

On the next Panthers drive, the Valwood defense forced a punt of their own. During the punt, the snap would be low, causing the Panthers’ punter’s knee to touch the ground at the Panthers 31 yard line.

To start the drive, Braylon Neal and White combined for 13 total yards on the ground, giving the Valwood offense a fresh set of downs at the Tiftarea 18. On third-and-7 at the Panthers 15 yard line, Wells would found a wide-open Cort Kurrie in the end zone for a touchdown.

A Tommy Marreo PAT would put the Valiants up 7-0 with 9:30 to play in the first half.

On their next drive, the Panthers offense would not take long to find themselves within Valiant territory, picking up 62 yards on the first play of the drive. Two plays later, the game was tied after a six-yard touchdown run by Panthers QB J.R. Walker with 9:19 to play in the half.

With the ball at their own 41 yard line, the Valiants offense looked to move the ball downfield and take the lead back before halftime.

To start the drive, White picked up 14 yards on the first two plays. With a fresh set of downs, White looked to continue to add rushing yards to his total, but would lose three on the next play. Facing second-and-13, Wells connected with White in the flats, picking up 14 and a fresh set of downs.

Neal looked to continue to move the ball down the field, but was met in the backfield on first-and10, losing five after trying to give an extra effort. On second down, Wells would again find Kurrie open, this time picking up 11 yards. Facing a third-and-4, Neal would not be denied this time, finding a hole made by the Valiants offensive line and picking up a fresh set of downs for the Valiants.

Neal continued to add to his rushing total, picking up four yards on the next play. On second-and-6, Coach Brad Wells called for a wildcat package, putting White at QB. On the play, White found an outside lane, picking up nine yards.

With the ball at the Panthers 12, the Valiants would look to take the lead late in the first half. Unfortunately, a TFL on Wells for (-6) yards and a bad snap for (-12) yards put the Valiants in a fourth-and-25 situation. With the offense still on the field, Wells would again find White in the flats but would be unable to pick up the first down, turning the ball over the Panthers at the TA 21.

To close out the half, the Panthers kept the ball on the ground, running the clock out with the score tied 7-7.

To open up the second half, Andrew Belcher gave the Valiants great field position, setting the offense up at the TA 34-yard line after a 51-yard return on the kickoff.

The Valwood offense would only need three plays to take lead, with White picking up 16 yards, then another 20 to put the Valiants up 13-7 with 11:02 to play in the third quarter. Marreo’s PAT would put the Valiants up 14-7 over the Panthers.

Much like earlier in the game, the Panthers matched the Valiants scoring drive with one of their own, going on a 10-play, 65-yard scoring drive that lasted close to seven minutes. A PAT by the Panthers would tie the score at 14-14 with 4:36 to play in the third.

After a short return by Mason Corbett set the Valwood offense up at their own 41 yard line, the Valiants looked to take the lead back with great field position. On second-and-14, Wells connected with White again, giving the Valiants a chance to move the sticks after a 10-yard catch and run.

On third-and-4, White found a crease in the Panthers defense, picking up four yards and giving the Valiants a fresh set of downs. Two plays later, Wells connected with Belcher for a 55-yard touchdown. Marreo’s PAT put the Valiants up 21-14 with 1:57 to play in the third.

With a seven-point cushion late in the third quarter, the Valiants defense would finally get another stop, forcing a Panthers punt after Ayundrae Belcher sniffed out the screen pass from Walker on first down and a pressure by Jack Melendez on third down.

Looking to capitalize on the punt, the Valiants tried to run some of the fourth quarter clock, picking up a fresh set of downs after an 11-yard rush by Neal. After only picking up four yards over the next three plays, the Valiants were forced to punt back to the Panthers.

On the next Panthers drive, the Valwood defense looked to get off of the field after putting the Panthers in a fourth-and-5 decision but would have to stay on the field after a 14-yard catch by John Jackson with less than 5 minutes to play.

Two plays later, Gavin Chambers got to Walker, sacking him for a seven-yard loss. On third-and-17, the Panthers were given a fresh set of downs after a roughing call on Walker by the Valiants defense.

With the ball at the VAL 17 yard line, the Panthers tied the game up just two plays later after an 11-yard touchdown run by Walker with 1:59 to play in the game. The Panthers would elect for a PAT attempt instead of a 2-point conversion, tying the game up at 21-21.

With the ball at their own 28 yard line, the Valiants offense tried to move downfield, but would be put in a third-and-14 situation after a bad snap and false start on back-to-back plays. With nobody open, Wells threw the ball out of bounds. With around 40 seconds to play, the Valiants offense was forced to punt the ball back to the Panthers.

After picking up 3 yards on their first play, the Panthers QB was brought down by a host of Valiants after a Grant Moss pressure allowed for a 3 yard TFL. Electing for OT, the Panthers ran out the clock on the final play.

With the Panthers getting the ball first in overtime, it looked as if the shootout would continue after the Panthers drove down to the VAL 3.

The Valwood defense made one more stop, stuffing the Panthers’ QB in the air on second down. On third-and-1, a tackle by Hudson Paylo and Dywan Powell forced a fumble at the goal line, allowing for Moss to recover and give the ball back to the Valwood offense with a chance to win.

Showing signs of the 2023 championship team, the Valiants offense only needed one play to win the game, walking it off with a 25-yard run by Braylon Neal. The Valiants walked away with a 27-21 win.

With the win, the Valwood Valiants get revenge on the team they lost to just two weeks ago, returning to the state championship game for the second year in a row.

The Valiants will have another chance at revenge as they face the #4 Deerfield-Windsor Knights in Statesboro for the GIAA AAA title.