VALDOSTA, Ga. — Camden County’s last pass hit the ground and the Lowndes contingent released all the built-up nerves.

The No. 10 Vikings escaped with their first Region 1-7A victory.

The Wildcats erased a three-score deficit to cut it to 28-27 with 1:54 remaining. They attempted a 2-point conversion pass, but Lowndes’ defense flexed to preserve a 28-27 win at Martin Stadium on Friday night.

“They were going for it all and that’s whenever your guts drop and you’re like, ‘It’s all or nothing here,'” Vikings defensive lineman Darrell Stewart said of the team’s last defensive stand.

Some connecting deep passes allowed Camden County (6-3, 0-2) to come back and make it a nail-biting finish.

“We’ve got to clean up those long balls,” Lowndes coach Randy McPherson said. “We’ve been working really hard in the secondary and I just feel really good about our team.”

Travis Tisdale’s 7-yard scoring run gave Lowndes (7-2, 1-1) a 28-7 advantage with 2:56 left in the third. He finished with 108 yards rushing on 19 carries.

The Vikings went scoreless in the fourth.

Camden County rallied in the fourth.

Logan Watson’s 43-yard pass to Logan Berryhill put the Wildcats at the Vikings’ 2. Watson ran in the score to slice it to 28-14 with 9:15 remaining.

Lowndes’ Ashton Musgrove attempted a 44-yard field goal four minutes later, but it sailed wide.

Trace Dorminy hooked up with a wide-open Berryhill for an 80-yard TD connection with 5:31 left, before an 86-yard reception by Shawn Hardy allowed for Jamie Felix’s 2-yard TD run with 1:54 remaining.

Skyler Strickland attempted a 2-point conversion pass to Berryhill, but the pass was high. The Vikings recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt and ran out the clock.

“I thought it was a great call. I thought it was a gutsy call by coach (Bob) Sphire,” McPherson said. “Certainly not one to be second-guessed, because if they would’ve made it, they would’ve won.”

Jacarri Brown started at quarterback for the Vikings, playing all but the last drive of the first half. He completed 3 of 4 passes for 31 yards with no interceptions and rushed for 20 yards on nine carries.

Joe Almond played QB for the entire second half. He rushed for a game-high 116 yards on 10 attempts with two touchdowns. He was 3 of 9 passing for 39 yards with no interceptions.

Almond ran up the middle for a 30-yard score early in the third, putting Lowndes ahead 14-7 after the two teams played to a 7-7 draw at intermission. Almond sprinted up the middle 5 minutes later for a 34-yard score.

“We saw the linebackers were crashing down on Tisdale, so (Camden County) just left me open,” Almond said. “The (O-line) opened up the holes and I just ran through them.”

Gary Osby ran for a 7-yard TD for Lowndes, accounting for the game’s first points early in the second period. Defensively, he finished with five solo tackles, including one for a loss. Devonn Lane had four solo tackles.

Watson finished with 248 yards passing for the Wildcats, completing 17 of 21 attempts. 

Devin Harris and Roninn Wright led Camden County with six solo tackles apiece. Cade Loden had five solo stops and assisted on two.

UP NEXT

Lowndes visits No. 1 Colquitt County next Friday. The undefeated Packers defeated Tift County 45-7 on Friday night.