The Moultrie Observer
MOULTRIE —
MOULTRIE – McEachern quarterback Dondre Purnell scored on a 9-yard run with 3 seconds remaining to give the Indians a 23-22 upset victory over Lowndes on Friday at Walter H. Cantrell Stadium in Powder Springs.
The game featured two lead changes in the final seven minutes and the time was kept on the field for the final 37 seconds after it was announced that the stadium clock was not working.
Lowndes trailed 17-16 midway through the fourth quarter when it drove 80 yards to take a 22-16 lead on a Sam Duncan touchdown run.
But McEachern then drove 80 yards for the winning touchdown in the final 2:13.
Lowndes has not defeated at top-10 opponent on the road since the 2004 state championship game.
The Indians victory came after the jersey number of former running back Rajaan Bennett was retired. Bennett was murdered in February shortly after accepting a scholarship to play at Vanderbilt.
McEachern had dropped its opener 24-21 to Peachtree Ridge in the Corky Kell Classic and is now 1-1.
The Vikings, who started the season with victories over South Gwinnett and Pebblebrook, fall to 2-1.
The Vikings will return to Martin Stadium on Friday to play host to Leon High of Tallahassee.
Coffee 40, Locust Grove 0: The Trojans won their first game of the season by dealing the Class AAA Wildcats their second straight loss to a Region 1-AAAAA team.
Tift County defeated Locust Grove 34-7 the previous Friday night.
The victory ended Coffee’s eight-game losing streak.
The Trojans El Carswell took the opening kickoff back 86 yards for a touchdown and the rout was on.
Coffee led 33-0 at the half and went on to hold the Wildcats to just 47 yards of offense, including eight rushing, in the game.
Trojans quarterback Will Gardner was 7-for-13 for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Tony Clark carried five times for 31 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Coffee will head out on the road on Friday to play Appling County in Baxley.
Valdosta 36, Hardaway 0: The Wildcats recorded their second straight shutout to open the season while dispatching the 1-AAAA Golden Hawks.
Valdosta, 2-0, got the only points it would need on its first play from scrimmage when quarterback Ryan Whilden threw a short pass to DaShay March, who took it 56 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Wildcats lead just 19 seconds into the game.
Whilden went on to complete 14-of-29 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted twice. Malcolm Mitchell had four catches for 78 yards.
The defense scored one touchdown and special teams had another for the Wildcats, who will play host to Lincoln High of Tallahassee on Friday in the third of five straight home games to open the season.
Tift County 32, Shiloh 14: Freshman quarterback Tadric Jackson completed 13-of-18 passes for 157 yards and Markeith Hayes ran for 110 yards on nine carries as the Blue Devils raised their record to 2-1.
The game was a sloppy one and Tift County led 17-6 at the half despite being outgained by the Generals 173-127.
The Blue Devils defense asserted itself in the second half, allowing just 98 yards.
Tift County will play host to 2-0 Stephenson on Friday at Brodie Field.
In other games on Friday:
South Panola 39, Memphis University School 2: Just six days after defeating Colquitt County 65-35, the Batesville, Miss., Tigers went to Memphis and scored 28 second-quarter points to end Memphis University School’s 28-game winning streak.
Quen Griffin, who rushed for 284 against the Packers, had 230 yards on 15 carries and scored three times, including once on a 93-yard run.
South Panola, now ranked No. 1 in one national poll, is 3-0.
Carver (Ala.) 44, Jeff Davis 7: The Wolverines had their way with the Volunteers despite being flagged for 17 penalties.
Quarterback Jeremy Johnson was 19-for-25 for 292 yards and three touchdowns and Stanley Robinson rushed for 196 yards on 24 carries and scored twice.
Carver, which visit Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium on Sept. 24 as the Packers Homecoming opponent, is now 2-0.
The Wolverines opened with a 55-34 victory over Opelika.
Westlake 22, McNair 12: The Lions, who will travel to Moultrie next Friday, evened their record at 1-1 with the home victory win over McNair.
Westlake had falled to Washington High 33-26 at home in its opener.
Colquitt traveled to Westlake in the first round of the state playoffs last year and came away with a 10-0 victory.
Douglas County 14, Warner Robins 0: The Demons were shut out for the second straight time at McConnell-Talbert Stadium to open the season.
Douglas County’s Shay Sealey ran the second-half kickoff back 94 yards for a touchdown and the Tigers added a 1-yard run by Brandon Pennamon.
Warner Robins will be off this week and will have an extra week to prepare for its Sept. 17 trip to Moultrie to meet the Packers.
