Indians Drop Heartbreaker To Tattnall
Vidalia’s Indians will try to get things back on track this Friday when they start their region schedule on the road in Hazlehurst against an undefeated Jeff Davis Yellow Jacket team. The young Indians should be considered underdogs, despite the fact that Vidalia has had Jeff Davis number for several years now. The last time the Yellow Jackets beat the Indians was in 1999. Vidalia has won the last 13 contests between the two schools. Vidalia is coming off a close 35-28 loss to Tattnall County. The Indians had their opportunities to win after taking a 14-0 first quarter and 21-7 second quarter leads.
The explosive and speedy Warriors proved that they are the best team Tattnall has had in several seasons though, coming back and taking control in the second half to win the game.
Vidalia took the opening kickoff, and drove 80 yards, mostly through the air on short passes from QB Bryce Davis to sophomore receivers Antonio Barron and Jacaree Washington and the running of A.J. McLendon and Davis.
After the drive nearly stalled inside the 1-yard line, Darrell Brown dove into the endzone with 6:21 left in the first quarter. Tate McDaniel’s extra point made it 7-0.
Minutes later, Vidalia’s Trace Thompson recovered a Tattnall fumble at the Warrior 33-yard line. After three plays, the Indians faced a fourth and 11. On the 4th down play, Davis went to Jacaree Washington on a tunnel screen. Washington raced through the Warrior pursuit and scored with 1:37 left in the first quarter, the Indians had a 14-0 lead. Tattnall really started moving the ball in the second quarter, and the Warriors showed just how explosive they were when Matt Mobley broke through the Indian line and outran all pursuers to the goal line. Isaiah Bush’s extra point cut Vidalia’s lead to 14-7. Vidalia answered right back though when on a third and long, Davis found Washington running free in the middle of the field and hit him for 50 yards and a first down at the Warrior 7. Three plays later, Brown scored his second TD of the night to make it 21-7.
Tattnall really got back in the game on their next possession when Warrior QB Jeremiah Mayner, probably the fastest man on a speedy team, went 51 yards on a draw play on a third and 22 play to cut the lead to 21-14 at the half.
The Warriors got the ball to start the second half, and ate up almost 8 minutes of clock on the 80-yard drive. Running back David Hill got the TD that tied the game at 21- 21.
After a short Vidalia drive fizzled out, the Warriors, now a hot football team, took the lead. Again, it was Hill scoring on an 11-yard run right through the middle of the Indian defense with 6:11 left in the game. This is when you knew things were going the Warriors’ way. After the holder fumbled the extra point, the refs gave the visiting team a do-over.
Vidalia freshman A.J. McClendon got the Indians back in it, returning the kick to the Tattnall 25. The Indians, moving mostly behind Bryce Davis runs, drove down close. But on fourth down, Davis got hit and gang tackled inside the 2 with 3 minutes left.
Tattnall added another TD when another one of the Tattnall speedsters, outran a tired Vidalia defense for 45 yards and the final Warrior TD to make it 35-21 with 2:12 left. Vidalia got back in the game with under a minute left when Davis scored from 3 yards out. McDaniel made it 35-28 with 55 seconds left. McDaniel’s almost perfect onside kick ticked off the fingertips of Sinclair Williams, but VHS took the loss, 35-28. Bryce Davis had his best day throwing the ball. Davis’ 15 completions in 23 attempts garnered the Indians 281 yards of offense and a touchdown. Jacaree Washington had 3 catches for 103 yards and a TD and Antonio Baron had 8 for 95.
