By Steve Carter
TIFTON — For the first time since 1974, the Valdosta Wildcats football team is 1-4 on the year. After a 17-15 loss to the Colquitt County Packers Friday, coach Rick Tomberlin’s team is also 0-1 in Region 1-AAAAA play.
Even with all of that, the Wildcats are still the nation’s all-time winningest football program and as Valdosta invades Brodie Field Friday night to face the Tift County Blue Devils in a Region 1-AAAAA tilt, head coach Jay Walls and his Tift team are not even considering looking past the proud Valdosta program.
“They are like three or four plays away from being 4-1 or maybe, 5-0,” Walls said. “They are a good football team.”
“Offensively they are capable of beating you with the run or the pass,” Walls said. “The quarterback, No. 16, throws the ball very well and is also very mobile. He is a good player. He presents problems, because he can throw it and he can run pretty good too. We have got to contain him.”
That player is Michael Turner, the first four-year starter at quarterback for Valdosta since Buck Belue. On the year, the senior has completed 23-of-38 passes for 267 yards. He also has thrown for four touchdowns and has been intercepted three times. He has also rushed for 138 yards on 39 carries.
“Their running back, No. 1 (Demetrius James), is a very hard runner, a very intense runner,” said Walls. “He does a great job on the toss and the counter.
“Their fullbacks, No. 22 (Jamil Chandler) and also, No. 9 (Rashad Austin), do a good job of running the trap.”
James is the third leading rusher in the region with 443 yards on 104 carries. He has scored three touchdowns. Chandler has rushed for 153 yards on 32 carries, and Austin has rushed for 61 yards on 12 carries.
“I feel like they have a lot of weapons offensively,” Walls said. “Their receivers are very good, and they run good routes.”
“No. 2, Alfrie Johnson is a good receiver and a great athlete,” said Walls. “He is a big-play threat for them.”
Johnson had a 90-yard touchdown reception from Turner in the game against Colquitt County.
The Tift defense will try to slow down the Valdosta attack.
In four games, the Blue Devils have allowed 219 yards rushing on 121 carries, an average of 1.8 yards per carry and 54.8 yards per game. That rushing defense leads the region.
Valdosta is second in the region in rushing with 985 yards in five games. The Wildcats have averaged 4.2 yards per carry and 197 yards per game.
Through the air, Valdosta has 481 yards, an average of 96.2 yards per contest.
Tift has also allowed 430 yards passing, an average of 107.5 per game.
A number of players are having solid seasons for the Tift defense, including Randy Parker, Jay Gaskins, Anthony Woods, Josh Abbott, Larry Bryant, Lanarius McKinley, Zack Brown, A.J. Brown and Blake Reddick.
“I am really excited about the way our defense is preparing this week,” Walls said. “I can tell our defensive guys have stepped it up a notch. They were already playing very good, but I feel like in practice they are working very hard.”
“Defensively, they have very good team speed,” Walls said of the Wildcats’ defense.
“They are not little on defense, but they are not huge. They run to the ball and they play physical up front. They have a lot of confidence in what they are doing. They play hard from start to finish for four quarters. They are a very good defensive team.”
The Valdosta Wildcats on defense have allowed 479 yards rushing on 160 carries, an average of right at 3.0 yards per carry. In five games, Valdosta has allowed 95.8 yards per contest.
Valdosta’s passing defense has given up 623 yards through the air, an average of 124.6 yards per game.
Tift has been led by Kaream Hess on offense this year. The junior running back leads the region in rushing with 495 yards on 87 carries — an average of 5.7 yards per carry. He has scored eight touchdowns on the ground and one touchdown through the air.
Also as a receiver, Hess leads the Devils with 12 catches for 117 yards.
Tift’s second leading receiver is Israel Troupe, who has caught eight passes for 103 yards. Blue Devil quarterback Sean Baxley has completed 40-of-76 passes for 345 yards.
As a team, Tift has rushed for 597 yards and has passed for 369 more, an average of 241.5 yards per contest.
“Offensively, there seems to be some more fire in what we are doing (this week),” the Tift head coach said.
Overall, Walls feels like his team is ready for the first Region 1-AAAAA contest of the season.
“It seems like they have picked up their pace a little bit,” said Walls. “They seem to be more focused.”
Game time will be 8 p.m. at Brodie Field.
