VALDOSTA –– Despite the stardom of Lowndes Vikings quarterback Jacurri Brown, the receiving pair of junior Chase Belcher and senior Dominque Marshall made a name for themselves in the Lowndes season opener at Archer.

The duo combined for 11 receptions, 169 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the way to a 35-21 victory against the Tigers.

Belcher was awarded the team’s Offensive Player of the Week via Twitter, but Marshall also put up a case to have his name mentioned in the same breath.

Belcher and Marshall are both Valdosta lifers and have been around the game since they were children. They enjoy the therapeutics of preparing for games and feel that it plays a part into their performances.

“I love the competitiveness and how you get to compete against other players,” Belcher said. “You make each other better and we all prosper at the end. Everyone gets helped out.”

For Marshall, the senior explains that he is very vocal and involved in helping his team focus on the task ahead.

“I listen to music in the locker room. I am kind of a vocal guy,” Marshall said. “Before games, I am not going to just sit there and be quiet, but I still stay focused and think about my job to help my team win.”

The teammates accounted for all receiving scores for the Vikings in last Saturday’s win.

Belcher downplayed the unique factors of the game at Archer with it being a Saturday afternoon game in the blazing Lawrenceville heat.

“The heat didn’t really get to me,” Belcher said. We have been conditioning for that all offseason because we knew we were going to play in that environment. That did not really affect me as much as it would’ve if we did not prepare. I think it was just a matter of doing whatever I can do to help the team.”

Marshall gave credit to outside receiver’s coach, Kevin Pych and the need to lead the way for the receiving core for he and Belcher’s performance.

“We come out and work hard with Coach Pych,” Marshall said. “He keeps pushing us. We’re the two leaders of the receivers, so we just have to come out here and set an example for everybody else and it was good win Saturday.”

Vikings head coach Jamey DuBose also praised Coach Pych’s efforts teamed with the work ethic of the top receiving duo.

“They’ve worked extremely hard with Coach Pych,” DuBose said. “He has done an exceptional job with drills and preparing them. Being coachable and hard work got them to that point.”

There is still some fun competitiveness with the two, but they feel that they need to play to each other’s strengths to successfully complement each other.

“We compete at every practice through who gets more catches and yards,” Belcher said. “We just make each other better.”

Marshall said that even they poked a little fun at each other on the way home from Lawrenceville.

“He (Belcher) had three more yards than me in the game –– I had 83 and he had 86, but I had more touchdowns,” Marshall said. “On the way back home on the bus, we were joking about it. We have a competitive thing that we do at practice and games. We’ll say, ‘Hey, I’m getting this many yards and you’re getting this much. I’m getting more than you.’ Our goal every game is to get 100 yards apiece. We have high expectations for each other.”

DuBose pointed to his receivers’ experience and natural wide out skills as keys to their performances last week.

“I think with both coming back from last year with game time experience, great hands paired with route running, along with having time with Jacurri made it easy for them,” DuBose said. “We were patient. Most of those receptions came in the second half and I think there was a growth period throughout the first half.”

Both receivers could be on track to play at the next level.

Interest for Belcher could be warming up as he has two seasons to perform before he graduates in 2022.

Marshall has received multiple offers as he prepares to graduate in the spring. His offers include: The Citadel, Western Carolina and Tennessee Tech.

The two have an opportunity for an encore when they play their home opener against Griffin at Martin Stadium Friday night.