VALDOSTA — Valdosta State’s playoff hopes effectively came to an end last Saturday in a 38-14 loss against West Alabama, but there’s still a game to be played.

The Blazers (4-4, 4-3) travel to Rome on Saturday for a 3 p.m. kickoff against the Shorter Hawks (0-10, 0-7) with the intention of sending the seniors out with a bang.

“We want to play a good football game,” VSU head coach Kerwin Bell said Wednesday. “I told the guys on Sunday, It’s all about the seniors. If you’re not all on board to make sure we send the seniors out right, then you’re going to stay at home.

“We’re going to honor our seniors, and prepare the right way, and go and try to play the best game of the year. That’s all we can do.”

Young, talented players have crept up the depth chart all season, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Starting quarterback Rogan Wells is a redshirt freshman, and four of the Blazers’ top five receivers in yardage are either redshirt or true freshmen.

Sophomore running backs Isaiah Johnson and Cedric Hollingshed — last year’s Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Year — have also combined to rush for 330 yards on 58 carries (5.68 YPC).

Although VSU is well stocked for future success, there’s still a number of impact players within the program that’ll be playing their final game as a Blazer on Saturday, and Bell wants to make sure they get one last opportunity to shine.

“We’ll definitely get the seniors their reps, and if we get a chance, we’ll get some young kids in,” Bell said. “But I want our seniors to enjoy this moment.

“Like I told our team, when we were sitting 1-3, they led the way. They stayed together. They’ve been great leaders. They have done everything I’ve asked of them, so we’re going to make sure we send them out the right way.”

On offense, senior running backs Jordan Germany and Ron Johnson have combined for 462 yards and four touchdowns as the teams’ second and third leading rushers, respectively, behind Wells.

Dallas Baldner has been at VSU his entire career and he’s leading the team with 27 receptions and 318 yards receiving with two touchdowns. De’Sean Blair and Tshumbi Johnson transferred in before the season, and both have brought in veteran leadership and three touchdown catches between them.

Defensively, the Blazers are set to graduate even more talent.

The top five tacklers on the Valdosta State defense are seniors — linebackers Malik Slater and Sharmaine Washington and defensive backs Brandon Roe, Raymond Palmer and John Marvin.

Slater and Washington each have more than 60 total tackles and they combined 6.5 tackles for a loss between them. Roe snagged a team-high three interceptions, Marvin picked off two and made 3.5 tackles for a loss, and Palmer picked off a pass and frequently made highlight-worthy hits coming down from his spot at safety.

Defensive end Josh Ealy (4.5 tackles for a loss) and defensive back Andre Johnson (team-high six passes broken up) are also senior starters powering the “Black Swarm.”

Bell said the team’s No. 1 focus is leaving a good taste in the mouth of the senior class, and the work has began earlier this week.

“I sort of pick four or five guys each day after practice to sort of talk to the team about what their career’s been about, and what this week is about for them, and how much they love being a VSU Blazer, and how quick its went,” Bell said.

Saying goodbye to the seniors always makes for an emotional week, but it can be even more so knowing they won’t get another shot at the postseason, despite a strong finish to the season.

VSU’s young nucleus stands to learn an important lesson in giving it their all every week.

“Most of the time when a senior gets up to talk, some of the things that always happens is, they sort of talk about how fast it was, and how it seemed like just yesterday they were freshmen,” Bell said. “For the freshmen to be able to hear that, and hear how quickly its over with, that you’ve got to put every day in and make the most of every day, and every game and every week.”

The Blazers will honor their seniors after their final practice Thursday, before riding into one final battle with them Saturday at Barron Stadium.

“On the last day, tomorrow actually, we’ll make sure everyone lines up, we call it the ‘senior walk,’ and they shake hands and hug everybody,” Bell said. “I’m the last guy there, and I just make sure I get a chance to say thank you to those guys.

“They gave me everything they could have.”

Derrick Davis is the sports editor at the Valdosta Daily Times.