KINGSLAND — Tift County was not able to be a spoiler Friday night in their season finale, but no doubt that every other team in Region 1-6A will have them on the radar for 2025 after yet another strong game against Camden County.

The Devils had 475 yards of total offense in the 38-28 loss, which saw the defense only give up three touchdowns and have their most impressive goal line stand of the year, holding the Wildcats to zero points after they had a first-and-goal on the 1. One Camden touchdown was on a kickoff return, another on a defensive fumble scoop and score.

Tift’s total yardage was their most of the season.

Damieon Dixon put on quite a show for Tift, throwing for an unofficial 251 yards and rushing for three touchdowns on his first 100-yard game of his career. Dixon ran for 110.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette
Damieon Dixon crashes in for one of his three rushing touchdowns at Camden County. Dixon had 110 rush yards total.

Tift moved well all night, especially in the first quarter when they put up 14 points and had 160 yards. After taking the opening kickoff, the Blue Devils covered 59 yards on their first two snaps, a 31-yard run by Dixon and one of 28 yards by Kamari Holloman. That brought them to Camden’s 21.

There, head coach Jeff Littleton decided to open the open playbook wide, with Damieon Dixon tossing backwards to Vandorian Simmons, who planted his feet and threw. So off-guard was Camden that three different receivers were wide open at the goal line. Dai’jon Hayes got the reception and the 21-yard touchdown at 11:08.

Braylon Samuel kicked the first of four extra points and it was a 7-0 lead.

The team from the coast, needing a win to assure state, was ready when the ball was in their hands. David Coleman took the kick, found a seam on the visiting sideline and made an 82-yard return at 10:56. Noah McCullers hit the first of his five point-afters and the score knotted at 7-7.

Tift got two first downs, but had to punt, Camden taking over at the 42. The Wildcats also had a pair of firsts, but pressure caused Parks Riendeau to throw incomplete at the 14 on third down. McCullers came in for a 31-yard field goal at 4:27 for the ‘Cats initial lead at 10-7.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette
Vandorian Simmons draws a crowd as he slams the brakes and tosses to a wide open Dai’jon Hayes for a 21-yard touchdown.

Damieon Dixon got the Blue Devils rolling quickly, darting for a 39-yard run that had a bonus 15 added on a facemask penalty. In two plays they had gone from 20 to 20.

Tift shook off a hold for Dixon to convert a third down at the 10. Holloman got a big push on the next play to reach the 1.

In previous weeks, the Devils had trouble scoring in goal line situations. No problems Friday. Damieon Dixon needed only one rush to go over. The visitors led 14-10 with three seconds left in the quarter.

Both teams started the second with missed field goals, 27 and 29 yards, respectively. Camden’s missed field goal was a result of an outstanding stand by the Devils’ defense.

Giant Elyiss Williams’ first catch went 45 yards down to the 1 before he was tackled.

Camden immediately had two false starts to back up 10 yards. A catch gained one back and almost ended disastrously when the receiver fumbled into the arms Tift athletic director Chris Martin on the sideline.

Jaden Nelson broke up a Riendeau pass on third down, forcing the kick try.

Tift did not get as close as the Wildcats on the ensuing drive, but it did see Kaden Lawson make his longest catch and run of the season, 60 yards.

The Wildcats regained the lead at 3:37 on a three-yard run by Jordan Hardy. An insurance score right before the break put them in the driver’s seat for the remainder of the game.

Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette
Kamari Holloman takes a 29-yard screen pass down to the one, setting up Damieon Dixon’s third rushing touchdown.

Taking over at their own 34 at 1:07 after a Tift punt, the Wildcats got a 49-yard chunk when Riendeau hit Coleman on a screen. Williams’ size allowed him to reel in a six-yard touchdown pass with 14 seconds left. Camden had a 24-14 lead at intermission.

A pass of 15 yards to Hayes and one of 17 yards to Vandorian Simmons set up Damieon Dixon’s second TD run, again 1 yard. Simmons’ catch had put the ball on the two, which was combined with a Camden personal foul. The touchdown, which came at 6:22, narrowed the gap to 24-21.

Coleman had a receiving score at 4:42, 35 yards long, which ended the Blue Devils’ hopes of a stop and opportunity of regaining the lead. However, they missed another opportunity to add to the margin with a second missed field goal on their first possession of the fourth quarter.

Tift was driving again after the change in possession, out to nearly midfield on a 26-yard catch by Nelson. But the Wildcat defense stepped up and forced a fumble that Kingston Melton returned about 40 yards for a score at 7:26.

Time was running out for the Devils. Another drive into Camden territory saw a turnover on downs, but the defense had one last stop, forcing a three-and-out. Hayes fair caught a punt at TIft’s 31. With the realization this might be their last drive of the year, the Blue Devils made the most of it.

Lawson picked up a first down at the Wildcat 31 with a 17-yard catch. Damieon Dixon’s wheels saw him explode to the 15.

Trouble brewed with two consecutive incompletions, then a personal that made it third-and-25 at the 30. They got the first down in one. Holloman took a screen pass and muscled his way down to the 1.

Tift’s final offensive play of 2024 was a good omen, a touchdown run by Damieon Dixon. The last score was at 2:56.

Damieon Dixon completed 11 of 20 passes for an unofficial 230 yards. Lawson had two receptions for 77, Hayes had four for 81 (and a touchdown), Nelson two for 31 and Holloman three for 45.

Holloman had an unofficial 91 yards on 14 carries.

The final Region 1-6A shakeup sees Colquitt County as champions after their win over Richmond Hill. Lowndes is second after winning over Valdosta in the Winnersville Classic. Valdosta will be third and Camden is fourth.