VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) — A back-and-forth battle decided in the final seconds pushes the Vikings to a 9-0 start with a region title now within reach
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VALDOSTA, Ga. — One of South Georgia's biggest high school football rivalries took center stage as Lowndes and Valdosta entered the Winnersville Classic both undefeated, with a region championship on the line. With a sold-out crowd packing the stands at Lowndes High School, the stage was set for a Friday night showdown.
The Vikings struck first. Quarterback Jayce Johnson called his own number from 5 yards out to put Lowndes up 7-0. But the Wildcats wouldn't waste any time answering, as Deron Foster punched it into the end zone on the very next drive to even things up at seven.
That tie wouldn't last long. Mason Woods broke free for a 61-yard touchdown run, putting the Vikings back on top 14-7 after one quarter of play.
In the second quarter, Lowndes added a field goal to extend its lead to 17-7. But with just 11 seconds left in the half, Valdosta quarterback Tripp Perry found Jamarion Mingo in the back of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown grab. The Wildcats cut the deficit to just three, with Lowndes leading 17-14 at the break.
The Wildcats wasted no time in the second half. Perry connected with Ky'Rei Turner for a 12-yard touchdown grab, and Valdosta took its first lead of the night, 21-17. The Wildcats weren't done, as Foster found the end zone from 12 yards out to extend the lead to 28-17.
But the Vikings weren't going away. Johnson called his own number for the touchdown, and Lowndes went for two and converted, making it a 28-25 ball game heading into the fourth.
In the final frame, a Valdosta field goal extended the Wildcats' lead to six. But for the third time, Johnson found the end zone to put the Vikings back on top by one. The Lowndes defense then came up big with an interception.
The game was far from over. Valdosta forced a fumble to get the ball back with two minutes remaining. But on the Wildcats' final possession, the Vikings defense forced a fumble of its own to seal the win. Lowndes took down Valdosta 32-31 in an instant Winnersville Classic.
"That was the best game we've played all year. When you start talking about putting four quarters together and special teams and offense and defense, literally you go in there, and you tell them to enjoy the crap out of it, like they have put so much into that and for these kids and this community that game right there is their Super Bowl. Now the hard part is when we wake up tomorrow, we gotta flip the script and get ready for Colquitt, and so our kids will be ready. They know we got a region championship on the line," Lowndes head coach Adam Carter said.
Now sitting at 9-0, the Vikings have a chance to win the region with a victory next week against Colquitt from Martin Stadium.
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