By Score Atlanta
Class AAAAAA
Valdosta 26, Tift County 23
How the game was won: Valdosta used 19 unanswered points in the second half to rally from a 23-7 deficit midway through the third quarter. Tift County took its first lead with a diving 35-yard touchdown reception by R.J. Meriweather on 4th and 13 to make it 10-7. After a Valdosta fumble, Tift County kicker Fernando Ramirez knocked in a 31-yard field goal to make it 13-7. Griffin Collier ran in a 2-yard Tift touchdown and Ramirez hit a 37-yard field goal with 8:49 left in the third quarter to build the 23-7 advantage. Seth Shuman found Demarquz Owens for a 21-yard touchdown pass on fourth down that cut the deficit to 23-13. Valdosta made it a 23-19 ball game with a Tim Griffin rushing touchdown but missed extra point. Zakoby McClain hauled in a huge interception the next Tift County possession that gave Valdosta the ball back at the Blue Devils' 36-yard line. Wesley Veal caught a 29-yard pass that brought the Wildcats down to the 1-yard line and Griffin punched it in for his second 1-yard score to give Valdosta the 26-23 lead with 10:24 left. … McClain came up with another huge defensive play and sacked Tift County for a 14-yard loss to kill the drive. On Tift County's final possession, Jalen Temples iced the game with an interception with 53 seconds left.
Top performers: Tim Griffin ran in the game-winning touchdown with 10:24 left in the ball game. Jalen Temples and Zakoby McClain came up with fourth quarter interceptions. … Seth Shuman threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Demarquz Owens.
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