The Lowndes Vikings got two big turnovers from the defense, did just enough in the run game and had a reliable kicker, which made the difference in their 20-15 win over the Grayson Rams in the Class AAAAAAA semifinals on Friday at Grayson Community Stadium.
With the win, the unranked Vikings (10-3) are in the semifinals for the first time since winning the Class AAAAA title in 2007, advancing as a No. 2 seed from Region 1. They upset the No. 2 Rams (10-3), a No. 1 seed from Region 2.
The Vikings will travel next Friday to the No. 8 Milton Eagles, a No. 1 seed from Region 5, who upset No. 4 Hillgrove, 20-19, on the road.
With the Vikings taking a 10-9 lead into the second half, the turning point came midway into the third quarter, when the Rams muffed a punt but recovered on their own 4. On the first play from scrimmage, Vikings defensive back Tiberius Drocea stepped in front of J’kori Jones’ pass and ran it to the Grayson 1. Gary Osby punched it in on the very next play to give Lowndes a 17-9 lead with 6:54 remaining.
“I stepped back off the tackle and I looked at the quarterback’s eyes,” Drocea said. “He was staring right at me and threw the ball right in my hands.”
With 2:35 remaining in the game and the score at its final margin, Grayson had the ball with the chance to win, but Jones fumbled three plays into the drive and the Vikings recovered it on the Rams’ 24. Three plays later, on third-and-6, Travis Tisdale ran 7 yards for a game-ending first down, allowing the Vikings to kneel the ball until the clock ran out.
The Vikings’ other touchdown came on a 6-yard run from Ferringhetti Brown with 7:03 in the second quarter to make it 10-9.
Vikings kicker Ashton Musgrove kicked a 35-yard field goal to give them a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter, and kicked a 36-yarder with 2:35 left in the game for their final points. He was also 2-for-2 on extra kicks.
“Musgrove had a great night,” Vikings coach Randy McPherson said. “He kicked the ball into the end zone (on kickoffs) for the most part and did a good job punting, and I think we brought 42 balls up here, so that paid off.”
In contrast, the kicking game was a setback for the Rams. After Phil Mahfa’s 51-yard scoring run with 2:36 left in the first gave them a 6-3 lead, a high snap led to a blocked extra kick. That hurt them later in the game, with 3:12 left in the third, when they were forced to go for two after Mafah’s 3-yard touchdown run, which resulted in an incomplete pass to make it 17-15 Lowndes. With 6:27 left in the game, the Rams missed a 42-yard field goal to take the lead, and the Vikings answered on the next drive with Musgrove’s field goal.
Osby was happy to pull off the big win.
“It’s a great feeling right now,” he said. “I definitely feel like we can win a state championship.”
The Vikings managed just 87 yards of offense, led by
Jacurri Brown’s 33 rushing yards. Tisdale — who is committed to Kentucky — had 30 rushing yards.
The Rams were led by Mafah (165 yards on 15 carries) and Jonathan Halyard (114 yards, 10 carries).
Lowndes 3 7 7 3 - 20
Grayson 6 3 6 0 - 15
L - Ashton Musgrove 35 FG
G - Phil Mafah 51 run (kick failed)
G - Kevin Sanchez 20 FG
L - Ferringhetti Brown 6 run (Musgrove kick)
L - Gary Osby 1 run (Musgrove kick)
G - Mafah 3 run (pass failed)
L - Musgrove 36 FG
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