Lowndes-17 Valdosta-14

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The infamous "Winnersville Classic" between the Valdosta Wildcats and the Lowndes Vikings took place Friday night. Valdosta came into the game 3-2 and Lowndes was putting their undefeated 6-0 record on the line.

Lowndes received the opening kick, but could not do anything with it. This was the tale of the first quarter, as it was a defensive battle early on. The first quarter ended with a 0-0 tie. Lowndes finally got on the board with a field goal with just over 9 minutes remaining in the opening half. Late in the half, Lowndes was on the verge of scoring before a fumbled snap turned the ball over to Valdosta. Valdosta could not do anything with the ball and the teams entered halftime with Lowndes leading, 3-0.

Valdosta came charging out of the locker room with a strong first possession of the 2nd half led by running back Malcolm Joseph. The Wildcats finish the possession with a touchdown to go up 7-3. Lowndes answers right back with a drive of their own. Facing a 2nd and 22, Nick Burgman takes off for a 30-yard gain to get the 1st down. Inside the redzone,  Jordan Bellamy sacks the Lowndes QB to stall the Lowndes drive. They settle for a field goal to bring the score to 7-6 with just over 5 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter. After Valdosta punts the ball back to Lowndes, the Wildcats intercept a pass to regain possession. The Wildcats march down the field and score from the 1-yard line as the 4th quarter begins. The Wildcats now lead 14-6. The Vikings respond promptly, working the ball down the field with short, quick passes. It leads to a Viking touchdown. The 2-point conversion is good to bring the score even at 14. After the Viking score, Valdosta begins to drive the ball only to have it intercepted with just under 2 minutes to play. The Vikings drive the ball into field goal range and call a timeout with :04 remaining. Gustavo Gonzales comes onto the field to attempt the game winning field goal. The kick goes up and its good! Lowndes wins 17-14! Gonzales is carried off the field by his teammates.