Valwood running back Triston White (4) carries during a game against Brookwood Friday at Goddard Field.

HAHIRA – With Valwood looking to score a go-ahead touchdown in the final moments against Brookwood, disaster struck.

Junior quarterback Brooks Best’s pass was picked off in the end zone with eight seconds left, and the Warriors (7-3, 5-0 District 3-AAA) denied the Valiants (6-4, 2-3 District 3-AAA) an upset victory on senior night, winning 19-18.

Head coach Justin Henderson talked highly about Brookwood following the game, while also thinking Valwood’s ranking should be adjusted.

“Second team in the state beat the crap out of everybody they played except for those not in our division other than John Milledge,” Henderson said. “They came here, and they didn’t know what they were in for. If that’s the second team in the state, then I don’t know what number we should be.”

Alas, the Valiants’ class ranking rose from No. 5 to No. 4, meaning they will host a playoff game for the first time in three years.

The Valiants got on the board first midway through the first quarter.

Sophomore running back Triston White scored from six yards out. However, Valwood’s extra point attempt was blocked keeping the score at 6-0.

The second quarter was filled with penalties and miscues from both sides.

The Valiants drove the ball down into the red zone thanks to a 28-yard catch by senior wide receiver Hayes Perry.

However, a false start and a pair of dropped catches, including one by senior wide receiver Eli Pay on fourth down, kept Valwood off the board.

Penalties also wiped out a Valwood interception and a touchdown by Brookwood wide receiver Destin Moore as Valwood went into halftime up 6-0.

Henderson was disappointed by the penalties his team racked up during the game.

“We gotta clean up the penalties still,” Henderson said. “I mean, this is game ten. It’s a little bit late to start talking about, start cleaning them up.”

The Valiants came out of halftime with commitment to the ground game.

A little over a minute into the third quarter, White scored his second touchdown of the day, this time from 57 yards out. The Valiants would fail on the two-point conversion, keeping the score 12-0.

Brookwood responded with a touchdown of their own. Quarterback Rodge Waldrop connected with Moore, who took it 30 yards for a touchdown. The Warriors made the extra point to trim Valwood’s lead to five.

The Valiants went three and out on their next possession, setting up the Warriors with a chance to take the lead.

The Warriors converted a pivotal fourth down and running back Isiah Hill capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown run. Brookwood missed the extra point, however.

Valwood’s next drive went awry as Best was picked off by wide receiver and defensive back Rex Schofill. It was Best’s second interception of the night.

The Warriors extended their lead with another big fourth down conversion as Moore caught a 16-yard touchdown pass. The Warriors would go for two but came up short as they went into the fourth quarter up 19-12.

Valwood responded with a punishing ground attack. White did all the work on the drive and finished it off with a six-yard touchdown run. Valwood would go for two to take the lead but White came up short.

The Valiants, who has had success converting two-point conversions, came up empty in the game. Henderson thinks excitement attributed to Valwood’s inability to convert.

“I mean, if almost like we just, I don’t know, if we were just lit up or if we were just so excited we scored,” Henderson said. “I mean, a two-point play is kind of big.”

Valwood’s defense held up throughout the quarter, but it was Brookwood’s defense that made the adjustments, stuffing Valwood’s run game over the final nine minutes of the game.

The Valiants still got one last crack late in the game.

The Valiants got down inside the 10-yard line with a minute left in the game. However, after calling two straight runs that were kept in bounds, Best was forced out of the pocket and tossed his third interception of the game.

UP NEXT

Valwood has the week off before hosting 5-seed Terrell Academy (6-4, 2-3 District 3-AAA) on Nov. 18, time TBA.

Brookwood also has the week off before hosting the winner between 7-seed Pinewood Christian and 10-seed Southland Academy on Nov. 18