Vikings Score Back-to-Back State Championships
The Lowndes Vikings dominated the Brookwood Broncos Saturday night, winning 49-7 and capturing the 2005 AAAAA State Championship. The strong Viking defense didn't have a problem with the huge Brookwood offensive line, containing the Brookwood running game and forcing the Broncos to pass. Unfortunately for the Broncos, four of these passes were to Lowndes players. These interceptions set up many opportunities for the Lowndes offense, which scored an amazing seven touchdowns on the Broncos.

After the Vikings were forced to punt on their first drive, the quick Lowndes defense held Brookwood deep in their own territory. The Bronco punt gave Lowndes the ball on the Brookwood 29, and Coach McPherson tried some creative play-calling. Jermel Demps took a pitch, and then threw deep into the endzone to Robert Frazier. Frazier caught the ball right under two Broncos’ noses, giving Lowndes a 7-0 lead after Kurtis Schimdt’s successful PAT.

With under a minute left in the first quarter, the Vikings scored again. Doug Belk’s 31-yard pass to Matt Harper got the Vikings down to the 14-yard line, and senior Lynn Williams took over. Williams dashed 13 yards to the one yard line, and then took the ball in the final yard for the touchdown. Schimdt’s point-after gave Lowndes the 14-0 lead to close out the opening quarter.

Stanley Dickson started off a Viking scoring drive midway through the second quarter with a 38-yard run to the Brookwood 42. Williams and Devaris “Bus” Leonard then alternated carries down to the five-yard line. Belk slipped into the endzone with a quarterback keeper around the left sideline with 3:32 remaining in the half, setting the scoreboard at 21-0. The Broncos struck back though, returning a Viking kickoff to the Lowndes 47. After a short drive, mostly through the air, Brookwood scored what would be their only touchdown of the night, on a 21-yard pass. Their kick was good, sending the Vikings into the locker room with a 21-7 lead.

To start the second half off right, Belk picked off Brookwood quarterback David Pittman, giving Lowndes the ball on the Bronco 34. Dickson rumbled to the 25-yard line, but the Vikings were then held to 4 th-and-short. The Broncos stacked the line, expecting a smash to the middle, but instead Darriett Perry took a pitch to the right side, and sprinted all the way to the endzone. Schimdt’s PAT gave the Vikings a 28-7 lead. On their next drive, the Broncos were picked off once more, this time by Demps. Demps returned the ball deep into Brookwood territory. Williams then scored his second TD of the night on a 21 yard dash.

Down 35-7, and with the Lowndes defense stifling the run, the Broncos had to take to the air. When they did, Brookwood threw yet another interception, this one to Stevie Hardin, who returned the ball to the twelve-yard line. After a short run by Perry, Belk threw a ten-yard touchdown pass to Demps. After Schimdt split the uprights, the score was 42-7.

On the next Brookwood drive, the Lowndes defense continued to pressure the Bronco’s quarterback, and “Bus” Leonard tipped his pass. Demps grabbed the tipped ball for his second INT of the night, this one at the 49-yard line. The Vikings drove steadily on the ground to the 28-yard line, where Williams took over once more. He followed his blocker en route to a 28-yard touchdown run, the Vikings final score of the night. Kicker Marc Herring tacked on the final Viking point, which gave the Vikings their 49-7 lead. The Lowndes junior varsity team took to the field, and while the offense was held scoreless, the defense held didn’t allow the Brookwood varsity within scoring range.

The key to the Vikings second straight state championship was their outstanding defense. In the second half, all four Lowndes touchdown drives started with an interception. The Brookwood quarterback was pressured all night, and the Broncos’ star running back Cameron Smith (who had previously averaged 7.6 yards per carry) was held to under 30 yards on the night.

Saturday night was an emotional night for the Lowndes Viking seniors, who reflected on what winning their second straight state championship meant. A smiling quarterback Doug Belk shared his thoughts: “(It means) everything man, it’s what we worked for all season.” Tight end, linebacker, and punter Matt Harper had this to say: “There’s no other way I would have liked to end my senior season.” Quarterback Randy J. Williams expressed how he felt about the championship: “(It means) everything in the world, everything in the world. I can’t believe it.”