Wildcats defeat Coffee, 26-14

DOUGLAS �" Valdosta High won a big Region 1-AAAAA football game Friday night, defeating Coffee 26-14 at Jardine Stadium.
The Wildcats scored three touchdowns in the second half, including two touchdowns in the final 5:45, to earn the win.
The win improves Valdosta's record to 5-3 this season, and 2-3 in Region 1-AAAAA. The Wildcats are now just one game behind Warner Robins in the race for fourth place in Region 1. Valdosta plays Tift County and Houston County in its final two region games, while Warner Robins must face region powers Northside and Lowndes .
“It's a big win,” Valdosta head coach Rick Tomberlin said. “I thought we played real well on both offense and defense.”
Valdosta quarterback DaShay March carried the Wildcats' offense Friday night, much like he had been doing before getting hurt against Warner Robins. March ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries, and completed 3-of-6 passes for 39 yards.
After Coffee tied the score at 14-14 with 9:30 left in the game, Valdosta got the ball and put together what would turn out to be the game-winning drive.
Coffee's kickoff was short, and Valdosta's David Ward fell on the ball at the VHS 39-yard line. The Wildcats then drove 61 yards in eight plays for a touchdown. On the first play, March found tight end Jay Rome for a 21-yard gain. Three straight Phillip Moore runs and a facemask penalty on Coffee moved the ball to the Trojan 11. March carried on the next two plays, and got the ball to the 1. Two plays later, March slipped into the end zone on a quarterback sneak to make it 20-14.
After the touchdown, two Valdosta players and a Coffee player were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, which wound up moving the ball to the Coffee 31 for the extra point. Zach Wang's 48-yard try fell about a yard short, and the score remained 20-14.
On the second play of Coffee's ensuing possession, quarterback Will Gardner was hit as he threw the ball. His pass sailed right into the hands of Valdosta strong safety Dontavis Sapp, who returned the ball to the Coffee 17. The Wildcats moved the ball to the 10, and on fourth-and-3, lined up for a field goal. But then Coffee jumped offsides, giving Valdosta a first down at the 5. Four plays later, on fourth-and-goal from the 1, March went behind left guard Yontell Morrison on another quarterback sneak, and crossed the goal line for the score. That gave the Wildcats a 26-14 lead with 1:18 remaining in the game, and sealed the win for the Wildcats.
“Our guys responded in the second half,” Tomberlin said.
Coffee got the ball on the opening possession of the game, and drove for a touchdown with a 16-play, 65-yard drive that lasted just under 10 minutes. The Trojans converted five times on third down. On third-and-goal from the 1, Coffee's Tony Clark ran the ball in. Jacob Moore's extra point gave the Trojans a 7-0 lead.
Valdosta caught a break on the first play of the second quarter, recovering a fumble on a punt at the Coffee 30. The Wildcats couldn't convert on their excellent field position, and wound up punting, but Tyler Yelito's punt went out of bounds at the 2-yard line. Valdosta's defense then forced Coffee to go three-and-out, and after a punt, the Wildcats took over at the Trojans' 36.
Valdosta then drove for a touchdown to tie the score. March's 12-yard pass to Dhahrod Hall and his 8-yard run helped move the ball inside the red zone. On first-and-10 from the 12, March took the snap from the shotgun, went right, found an opening, and raced into the end zone for the touchdown. Wang's extra point tied the score, 7-7.
In the final minute of the first half, Valdosta moved the ball to the Coffee 33. But the Wildcats wound up turning the ball over on downs.
Valdosta took the second half kickoff and drove down the field, going from its own 20 all the way to the Coffee 1. But the Trojans' defense stuffed a fullback dive on both third and fourth downs, and held.
But Valdosta's defense forced Coffee to go three-and-out. Then Valdosta's Reggie McQueen caught a punt at the Trojan 40, went left, and his teammates set up a row of blocks in front of him. McQueen turned the corner, raced down the Valdosta sideline, and crossed the goal line for a touchdown, giving the Wildcats a 14-7 lead.
Coffee tied the score at 14-14 with 9:30 left in the game. Two plays after the Trojans recovered a fumble, Gardner went right on the option, then pitched to Tyreek Hill, who found an opening and raced 31 yards for the game-tying touchdown.
But then Valdosta responded with touchdowns on its final two drives, and left Jardine Stadium with a 12-point win.