Shane Thomas | The Valdosta Daily TimesValdosta wide receiver Javonte Sherman (13) breaks a tackle during the second quarter against Coffee Friday at Jardine Stadium.

VALDOSTA –– No. 3 Valdosta found its groove and made quick work of No. 8 Coffee, winning 28-7 last Friday.

The ‘Cats improved to 7-1 on the season and 2-0 in Region 1-6A. Here are some of my observations from last week’s action:

1) A Championship-Caliber Defense?

The Valdosta defense continued to show why it’s one of the best units in all of Class 6A. The ‘Cats held Coffee to 214 yards total offense –– 117 of those yards came on the ground, but just 97 came through the air. Not only that, the ‘Cats forced four turnovers against the Trojans –– three coming on interceptions as sophomore defensive back J.D. Rhym picked off two passes and junior linebacker Chris McClain snagged one of his own on the night.

Through eight games, Valdosta is allowing just 18.5 points per game. The run defense has been superb as teams are getting just 3.6 yards per carry and have only scored three rushing touchdowns all year against Valdosta.

In terms of takeaways, Valdosta’s defense has been opportunistic and have often come up with game-changing plays to seize momentum. With two regular season games left to play, the ‘Cats have 11 interceptions and five fumble recoveries. Boasting a points per game average 15.5 points below last year’s mark, the question now is: Do the ‘Cats have a state championship-level defense?

Currently, Valdosta is winning by an average of 21.5 points per game. The last time the ‘Cats had a double-digit scoring margin for an entire season was 2016 –– the year the ‘Cats won their 24th state championship.

2) First Quarter Magic

Prior to Friday’s game, Valdosta hadn’t scored a touchdown in the first quarter of a game since Sept. 20 against Beaufort.

On their first possession against the Trojans, senior quarterback Tate Rodemaker fired his first pass to Abel Norwood for 36 yards and on the next play, Rodemaker hit linebacker-tight end Jaylin Alderman with a 13-yard strike for a touchdown.

The early strike provided some foreshadowing for the rest of the game. Leading 14-7 at halftime, Valdosta patiently waited for its time to mash the gas pedal in the second half. Rodemaker connected with leading receiver Javonte Sherman on an 96-yard touchdown with 3:03 to go in the third quarter. Two minutes and 9 seconds later, senior running back T.J. Dailey powered in a 17-yard run that took a once-tied game and turned it into a three-touchdown rout on Coffee’s home field.

3) The Javonte Sherman Game

Javonte Sherman turned in his finest game of the season against the Trojans –– five catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns. 

Both scoring plays by Sherman showed why he should be a favorite to win Region 1-6A Player of the Year. Sherman’s combination of height, length, sure hands and speed make him a tough cover for defenses and his scores of 96 and 65 yards respectively put his skills set on full display.

Sherman has 30 catches for 676 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. More importantly, Sherman is averaging an extraordinary 22.5 yards per catch.

4) Owning the Matchup

With Friday’s win, Valdosta has now won six of its last 10 games against Coffee and three out of four under Alan Rodemaker.