Packers notebook: Tift heads to Lowndes to help kickoff region schedule

Published 9:59 am Wednesday, October 28, 2020

MOULTRIE – The two Region 1-7A football teams whose coaches have been hospitalized by COVID-19 will face each other on Friday when region play begins.

Tift County, whose coach Ashley Anders has recovered and returned to the sidelines, will travel to Martin Stadium to meet Lowndes, the top-ranked team in Class 7A, on Friday.

The Vikings were forced to cancel their last two games after first-year coach Jamey DuBose tested positive and recuperated in the hospital.

Like Colquitt County, which will play host to Camden County on Friday, Lowndes will try to bounce back after being idle for two weeks.

The Vikings had little trouble in their first five games, with wins over Archer (35-21), Griffin (45-6), Oakleaf of Orange Park, Fla. (37-17), Lee County (38-13) and, in the annual Winnersville Classic, Valdosta 33-21.

Lowndes also is ranked No. 3 in the High School Football 100 poll.

The Vikings are led by junior quarterback Jacurri Brown, who leads the region in scoring with nine touchdowns and in rushing with 69 carries for 516 yards.

Brown also has thrown for 568 yards and six more scores.

Tift County also has missed games because of quarantines.

The Blue Devils opened the season back on Sept. 4, with a 7-0 loss at Crisp County.

They didn’t play again until Oct. 2, when they lost at Irwin County 35-20.

But the Blue Devils have rebounded to shut out Worth County 47-0, drop a close game to Lee County 23-16 and, last Friday, defeat Perry 29-10.

Historically, Tift has not fared well against Lowndes.

The Vikings hold a 30-24 edge in the series that dates back to 1968. And since 1995, Lowndes has won 21 of the 25 meetings.

Ironically, Tift’s last three wins in the series have come at the Concrete Palace, in 2010, 2014 and 2018.

Of this and that:

• Former Packer tight end John Samuel Shenker caught a pass for 15 yards in Auburn’s 35-28 victory over Ole Miss last Saturday.

It was his second pass reception of the season.

Auburn, now 3-2, will be home to face 2-2 LSU on Saturday.

LSU is coming off a 52-24 win over South Carolina. Jay Ward continues to perform in the secondary for the Tigers.

• Appalachian State is coming off a 45-17 win over Arkansas State that raised its record to 3-1.

The Mountaineers will play at Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday.

Sophomore Kaleb Dawson, now up to 5-11, 200 pounds, has played in all four games for App State.

Six-foot-2, 300-pound red-shirt freshman offensive lineman Will Rykard is making contributions to the success of the UAB football team, which is 4-2 after a 24-20 loss to Louisiana last week.

The Blazers will play at Louisiana Tech on Saturday.

• Dothan High, one of the Packers four conquests this season, defeated Smiths Station 35-31 last Friday to raise its record to 2-6.

The Wolves will play at McGill-Toolen on Friday.

• Former Packer assistant Phillip Hale got his first victory as a head coach when Dooly County defeated Hawkinsville 13-12 last week.

The Bobcats are now 1-2 after a late start because of the coronavirus.

Dooly will be home to meet 1-4 Wilcox County on Friday.

• Northside-Warner Robins, Colquitt County’s last opponent, defeated Luella 43-9 last Friday and is now 3-4.

The Eagles will play on Friday at Valdosta. Rush Propst’s Wildcats, now 2-3, are coming off a 41-0 win over Westside of Jacksonville, Fla.

• Coach Reggie Stancil’s Peachtree Ridge Lions team has had three of the last four weeks off and will take a 3-1 record into its home game against 4-2 South Gwinnett on Friday.

Carrollton has won four in a row since a season-opening loss to Collins Hill. Last Friday, Sean Calhoun’s Trojans won over Paulding County 56-0.

Off this week, Carrollton will travel to East Paulding on Nov. 6.

• Tim Cokely’s White County Warriors blanked West Hall 35-0 last week and is now 5-2. White County will play next on Nov. 6 when it plays host to 0-6 Lumpkin County.