Andy Harrison | Special to the TimesLowndes running back Jacarre Fleming (1) breaks tackles for gain during a game against Lake Gibson Friday at Martin Stadium.

VALDOSTA – For lovers of offense, Lowndes High (2-1) and Lake Gibson (0-2) did not disappoint.

The Vikings defended their home turf against the Braves in a 58-47 shootout that was tense until the final drive of the game.

A 36-yard field goal by Lake Gibson put them ahead 47-44 with 10:29 left in the game. The field goal would also be the last time the Braves scored the rest of the night.

On the next Vikings’ drive, senior quarterback Jacurri Brown led the Vikings down the field for the go-ahead drive punctuated by a 5-yard touchdown run by sophomore Jacarre Fleming that took 2 minutes and 56 seconds off the clock. The Vikings took the lead 51-47 and did not look back.

Despite the plethora of points put up between both teams, it was the defense that stepped up for the Vikings when they needed it most.

As the clock ticked down on the Braves, Brown orchestrated one last drive down the field and Belcher punched it home to seal the victory with 2:31 remaining.

“The one thing I’ve found out about this football team… they will not quit,” said Dubose. “It don’t matter what the odds are; what adversity, they’ll find a way to give you a chance to win.”

Brown completed 12 of 19 passes for 166 yards with three touchdowns and an interception as the Vikings finished the night with 429 yards of total offense. Khris Thomas led the Vikings with five catches for 103 yards with two touchdowns.

By comparison, the Braves put up 365 yards of total offense led by Utah commit Jaylon Glover. The senior running back had 26 carries for 186 yards with four touchdowns on the night.

While Glover was all but unstoppable Friday, DeAunte Hunter and the Vikings defense at least slowed him down during the second half. Slowing down Glover and the running game proved to also be key to affecting Hackett in the pocket, as DuBose pointed out.

“As the game went on, we were able to get to the quarterback and force some throws,” DuBose said. “We came out and did a better job of that in the second half.” 

Even with the new defensive game plan, Glover still managed to keep the game close himself. One minute after Brown scored for the Vikings on a QB sneak, Glover found a seam up the middle of the field and just outran everyone to the end zone to bring the score to 44-42 with 7:52 left in third quarter.

The Vikings return team muffed the following kickoff. They recovered it, but it pinned Brown and the offense all the way back inside their own 10-yard line. On third down, Brown avoided a safety but took a sack that led to a punt.

On the next play, the ball soared over the punter’s head on a high snap and out of the back of the end zone for a Braves safety to tie the game at 44 apiece with 6:01 left in the quarter.

The Vikings were unable to answer on offense, but the defense kept the game in check. With ten minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Braves marching down the field, it looked like they’d take their first lead since scoring on the opening kickoff. 

Both schools entered the week ranked in the top ten in class 7A of their respective states, and both schools entered the game with loads of energy. 

At least the offenses did, to the tune of 72 combined points in the first half. Florida State commit Sam McCall set the pace early by returning the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown which showed that the Braves came to defend their high ranking.

On the Braves’ first drive, Glover made his presence felt as he ran through Lowndes defenders for his first of many big runs of the night. A couple plays later, Glover ripped another big run down the throat of the Vikings.

That run however, was called back on a penalty, the first in a series of miscues for the Braves that turned early momentum into a 4th and 42 punt that flipped the field for the Vikings.

With the field a little shorter, the Vikings managed to put together a quick 36-yard scoring drive, capped off by an electric 31-yard run by the senior playmaker Chase Belcher.

Belcher left the Vikings’ previous game early with an injury, so seeing him back outrunning defenders was surely a welcome sight for Vikings fans.

The Vikings are gifted a drive starting inside the Braves’ 30-yard line after the Braves chose not to cover the ensuing kickoff. The Vikings lose 3 yards on the next three plays, but the Vikings did well on fourth down in limited opportunities Friday. While the Braves went 0 for 2 on fourth down, the Vikings converted on 2 of 3 attempts.

Facing a fourth and 13 with 30 yards between the Vikings and the end zone, Brown caught the snap in the shotgun, set his feet, and floated a perfect ball to a streaking Thomas who glided across the goal line untouched with 8:19 to go before halftime. 

The Vikings fumbled the snap on the PAT attempt, but Lady Luck was with Lowndes on Friday night and the holder, sophomore Carson Page, was able to scamper into the end zone with the ball for two points instead of one. The Vikings had their first lead of the night, 15-7.

Glover’s 1-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter opened the floodgates for the two teams to trade blows, as they took turns scoring the next nine touchdowns. 

About a minute later, Brown and Thomas connected to score again, but the second quarter was Glover’s. With 5:46 left in the half, Glover scored again. The Braves rode their bruising back, and he answered the call, powering them up and down the field while scoring three times in the quarter.

Belcher then danced around defenders on his way into the end zone to push the lead back to eight, but the Braves just kept coming. Less than a minute after Belcher’s score, Glover answered by tearing up the middle of the field for 66 yards faster than you could blink. 

With the score now 28-29 and just two minutes left, the Vikings looked to increase their lead again before halftime. And they did just that about 20 seconds later when Brown scrambled out of the pocket to find senior receiver Tate McGee all alone for a 30-yard touchdown.

After a successful 2-pt conversion Lowndes looked to take a 28-37 lead into the locker room. The Braves and their senior quarterback Logan Hackett had other plans, however.

With under 30 seconds left, Hackett escaped the pocket, and while rolling to his left, threw across his body towards the middle of the field where he found his man with just enough room to score. The Braves just would not go away, and at halftime the score read 37-35, Lowndes.

After allowing 30+ points in every game of the young season (including this one), the Braves managed only ten points in the final two quarters.

Hackett finished 9 of 20 for 162 yards and one touchdown for Lake Gibson in the loss.

Hunter led the Vikings defense with five tackles and 1 1/2 tackles for loss, while CJ Tomlin and Eljiah Colvin each added five tackles in the win.

Despite the production on both sides of the ball, Lowndes is still showing the signs of a young and inexperienced team at the early stages of the season. DuBose pointed out how pleased he was with the growth his team showed against the Braves.

“We got outflanked a few times, they had good speed … we misaligned quite a bit, but we made some adjustments at halftime and held them to ten points after the half,” Dubose said. “We’re doing what I want to do, and that’s getting a little better every week.”

UP NEXT

The Vikings travel to Leesburg next Friday, Sept. 6 to play the 3-0 Lee County Trojans. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.