HAHIRA –– Tuesday night ended with another blowout loss for the Valwood Lady Valiants, falling to Southland Academy 55-15.

Since Valwood’s win against Frederica in mid-December, they’ve been on an eight-game losing streak and have lost each game by 20-plus points.

Southland called game early after allowing just two points scored in the second quarter.

By halftime, Valwood had yet to crack 10 points.

The big reason why –– their leading scorer Alexis Gosier was out for the game. Another reason –– this season has been hard to get through with only one win at this point in the season.

It’s not easy.

“It’s tough because you’ve got to dig deep and keep them pumped and motivated for the next game,” Valwood head coach Stephanie Johnson said. “Other than beating Frederica, I don’t know if we’ve come closer than 30 this season. It’s tough on (the players), they work on practice, and they work, and they work and then we get out there. … So, you’ve got to find other ways to stay motived but you’re only going to buy it so long, and there’s still six more games.”

Galvanizing a team with a dreadful record every game and practice isn’t easy by any means, but coaches typically instill a lesson during hard times like these.

“We’re family and keep each other’s back,” is the message Johnson tells her players through these hard times. “We’ve got to look out for each other and pick each other up.  Because we’re the only ones that can pick each other up, nobody else is going to pick us up.”

For the Lady Valiants, they have some things to look forward to despite the results of this season.

One, they have a bunch of young talent that can improve as their high school tenure goes on, and two, they can end their season with a win.

“But we do end with Frederica,” Johnson said. “So, there’s a possibility, a possibility we can end (this season) on a win.”

Their final game is Feb. 7, against Frederica Academy. Their hope is to end this abysmal year with a victory.

Before that, they’ll have to play six more games.

UP NEXT

The Lady Valiants will travel to Deerfield-Windsor for a rivalry game on Friday, Jan. 24 at 6:15 p.m.