Dave Sundin | Special to The TimesLowndes quarterback Michael Barrett (1) throws against Shiloh at Martin Stadium last Friday night.

VALDOSTA — They don’t have a win to their record, but the Ware County Gators have developed a knack for hanging around against opponents.

Lowndes coach Randy McPherson knows.

“They’re a really good football team, and they’re going to do everything in their power to get us,” the coach said ahead of No. 2 Lowndes’ first regular-season road test against the Gators at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Memorial Stadium in Waycross.

Lowndes (5-0) visits Ware County (0-3) after an emphatic five-game home stretch to start the season. The Vikings have shut out four of their five opponents, scoring 50-plus points in their last four contests.

“I like the way we started playing as one 11 and one Lowndes and pursuing to the ball,” cornerback Terrell Belcher said.

Martin Stadium has been good to the Vikings. Now they aim to bring their home success with them to Waycross, traveling for the first time since their Aug. 11 scrimmage against Bainbridge.

“On offense, we’re still going to produce,” running back J.D. Lee said. “Things will be a little tough without our home crowd, but we’ll still come along. We’re not going to start off slow, though. We’re going to come out pushing it as good as we can.”

The Gators dropped last week’s game against Northside-Warner Robins, 23-14. Ware County led 14-7 after Raja Bradley’s 60-yard touchdown run and quarterback Jeremiah O’Hara’s 8-yard rushing score. Northside scored twice before the half to take the lead and maintained its advantage the rest of the way.

Ware led Coffee County 7-6 at halftime of their Aug. 31 game. Coffee scored a late third-quarter TD to pull ahead before O’Hara’s scoring pass to tight end Trey Cobb to tie things at 14. O’Hara threw an interception that Coffee turned into a 21-14 lead. O’Hara fumbled late as he was sacked and the Gators turned the ball over, allowing Coffee to run out the clock.

Looking to upset mighty Lowndes at home this week, the Gators’ spread offense will rely on O’Hara, a 5-foot-8, 160-pound junior, and his mobility

“The quarterback is a runner and a thrower, real fast, quick kid, much like the boy that was there last year. So, he brings a lot to the table,” McPherson said. 

Offensive tackle Jalynn Strickland (6-6, 295) is a North Carolina State commit; he’s a three-star athlete on 247sports.com and scout.com. Linebacker Ernest Jones (6-2, 220) is a South Carolina commit and a three-star player on 247sports.com.

The Gators’ D hopes to contain Lowndes’ potent offense. The Vikings want to maintain their flow.

“They hustle to the ball,” Lee said of Ware’s defensive players. “So how we’re going to beat them is we have to hustle every play too. Every snap we’re going to have to beat their front. That’s the toughest thing they have right now, their front. If we get past them, we’re off to the races.”

Lee and the Vikings performed well in the run game in last week’s 55-0 victory against Shiloh. Lee ran for 45 yards on four carries with a TD, Travis Tisdale rushed five times for 47 yards and two rushing scores as the ground game tallied 237 yards.

Gary Osby, Devonn Lane and TJ Harris each had three solo tackles and Walker Schwab had a sack as the defense recorded its second shutout performance in a row.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Lowndes is 17-5-1 against Ware County. Lowndes’ offense was strong enough to make up for its defensive lapse in last year’s 56-35 win against the Gators. McPherson is 10-1 coaching against the Gators. Ware County last beat Lowndes 28-7 on Sept. 16, 2005, in Waycross, all according to the Georgia High School Football Historians website.

RANKINGS

The undefeated Vikings stayed at the No. 2 spot behind Grayson on this week’s Georgia Sports Writers Association high school football poll.

Archer, Tift County and South Forsyth are third, fourth and fifth, respectively.