VHS Runs Over Falcons, Eyes Now On Toombs

A steadily improving Vidalia football team prepped for their archrivals by whipping East Laurens 43-20 last Friday.

The Indians, now 4-2 and 2-0 in Region 2-AA, made short work of their Friday opponents by scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions to take a 20-0 lead with 3:28 still left in the first quarter. The only thing that didn’t work was an incomplete 2-point conversion after the first touchdown, a Jaedyn Stanley plunge over the goal line for the 1-yard line with 8:47 left in the first quarter. East Laurens went 3-andout on their first possession and was forced to punt. Starting at their 26 after East Laurens punt rolled dead, the Indians went to a fast pace again.

This time, Davis went to the air, first hitting Jermar Mack on a perfectly thrown flare route. Mack picked up 13 yards before being knocked out of bounds at the 36. Then, Davis hit Josh Mincey for 38 yards and a first down at the East Laurens 20.

Stanley scored his second TD of the night untouched when he burst through a huge hole in the line. Tate McDaniel kicked his first PAT of another perfect night on PAT’s to make the score 13-0 with 5:59 left in the half.

A long Davis run set up the Indians next TD. Davis outran contain to the sideline and sprinted all the way to the Falcon 22-yard line.

Sophomore running back Darrell Brown got the call for 5 yards and the touchdown. Mc-Daniel’s kick made it 20-0 with 3:28 left in the third quarter.

It was then that East Laurens threatened to make it a game on their next possession, mostly behind brothers Cole Strickland and Zach Strickland. Cole the QB, and Zach, his main receiver, will be a thorn in the side of anybody they play this season. Cole Strickland ended the 70-yard drive with just 49 seconds left in the high-scoring first quarter to make the score 20-7.

Vidalia answered right back. This time Davis hit Mincey, who had beat his man in the end zone for 27 yards and the TD. The PAT made it 27-7 with 10:28 left in the half.

The Indian defense came up big on East Laurens’ next possession, when Jordan Powell recovered an East Laurens fumble on their second play of the drive.

The Indians boosted their lead seconds later when Jaedyn Stanley scored his third TD of the night, this time from 28 yards out. McDaniel’s PAT made it 34-7.

East Laurens scored one more TD in the half. Again, it was set up by the pesky Strickland brothers. The TD came when Cole, under pressure, found Zach in the middle of the field for 21 yards and the TD. The PAT kick failed to leave the score 34-13 at the end of the half.

The game became sort of ugly in the second half, helped by several penalties that extended the game for at least another 30 minutes.

The Indians scored 2 more times, once Bryce Davis’ 22yard sprint to the end zone and again when the Indians got a safety when a bad snap got by Strickland and he fell on it in the end zone to tally Vidalia’s final points, making the score 43-14 with 7:37 left in the game.

Vidalia back-up running back Justin Turnage had a 52yard run that set the Indians up for another score. He was tackled inside the Falcon 5 on what should have been a horse-collar tackle.

There was no flag, though, and the Indians fumbled the ball away a couple of plays later.

East Laurens added a score with 23 seconds left in the game when Strickland hit Ladarius Taylor to make the final 43-20.

It was a stellar night for the Indian offense, whose production soared to 546 yards for the night.

Stanley led the way on the ground with 184 yards on 18 carries and 3 TD’s. Davis also broke the century mark with 115 yards on 9 carries and 1 TD.

Davis also had a good night passing the ball, completing 8-of 19 for 172 yards and a TD. There were a couple of interceptions; but one of them was on a mishandled field goal snap when he tried to force it into the end zone.

Justin Turnage had 52 yards on one carry and Darrell Brown had 33 yards on 10 attempts and a TD.

Josh Mincey led the team in receiving with three receptions for 106 yards and a TD. Matt Hill caught two for 46 yards and Jamar Mack two for 23 yards.

Ira Clements had 9 solo tackles in the secondary against the pass happy Falcons. Linebackers Jaylin Burns and Clay Morris, and defensive back Brandon Beasley had 5 solo tackles each.

Defensive tackle Tom Godbee had 4 solo tackles with 3 tackles for loss.