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Vikings Capture Fifth Straight Winnersville Classic, Win 14-7!
Brian Fazio, Valdosta Daily Times
Intense, physical, hard-nosed football. A down-to-the-wire game. This was the Winnersville Classic as it was meant to be played.

Lowndes won the 2008 Winnersville Classic Friday night, defeating Valdosta 14-7 at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.

The Vikings, ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 2 in the nation, won their 21st consecutive game and improved to 7-0, but received their toughest challenge of the season from Valdosta.

“What a ballgame,” Lowndes head coach Randy McPherson said. “It was a tough game. That’s how it usually is. I’m just proud of our coaches and players. This was a big win.”

The game, for the most part, was a defensive battle. Lowndes got a long touchdown pass on the second play of the game and took advantage of a pair of Valdosta miscues for their second score. Then the Vikings’ defense made the lead stand up in the second half.

“(Our defense) made plays when they had to,” McPherson said. “Valdosta moved the ball well on us at times, but when it counted, our defense came through. Offensively, they kind of shut us down in the fourth quarter.”

“It was a great game. I thought our effort was outstanding,” Valdosta head coach Rick Tomberlin said. “Our defense played real well. You’ve got to play good defense in this region.”
Full article from Valdosta Daily Time