Toombs’ Big Pass Plays Sink VHS In Rivalry Game

A wild pregame show yielded to an even wilder rivalry game between the Vidalia Indians and the homestanding Toombs County Bulldogs on Friday night in Lyons before another raucous crowd, something that has been typical in these contests for a long, long time.

For the record, these rivalry games have been going on for almost 100 years now. Yes, Toombs County, there was a Bulldog football team before Lyons High School was renamed Toombs County.

The two teams have played 94 times now. Hopefully, the teams will play each other for another 100 years. It has always been one of Georgia’s best and most competitive rivalries. The first game was played in 1927, and the teams played each other twice during several of the early seasons.

There were a couple of breaks during the rivalry, one was for World War II. The teams didn’t play from 1942 through 1946.

Toombs County’s 21-19 win on Friday night broke a 3-game Indian winning streak in the series. With the pregame show and big plays through the passing game on both sides, this was one of the wildest.

Toombs County won the toss, and elected to defer until the second half. Indian QB Bryce Davis lost the handle continued from page

on the ball while rolling to the right and the Bulldogs recovered at the Indian 31.

The Indian defense, which was tough all night, forced a turnover on downs.

Vidalia immediately went to work, moving primarily through the air on Davis’ short passes to Antonio Baron, Jacaree Washington, and Kaleb Bennett.

The drive stalled out at the Bulldog 17 though; and Tate McDaniel broke the scoring ice with a 34yard field goal to give his team a 3-0 lead with 9:40 still left in the first quarter, After an exchange of possessions again, the Indians were forced to punt. Bryce Davis never got the ball as it sailed over his head to set the Bulldogs up at the Vidalia 30-yard line.

On third and 8, from the Indian 28, Toombs QB Gavin Hall stepped back and found Wil Watts running wide open in the middle of the field. The Bulldogs had their first lead at 7-3 with 1:14 left in the first quarter after Jesus Mata kicked the extra point.

It didn’t take Toombs long to score a second time. After forcing Vidalia to punt, the Bulldogs hit another big play on third and long from their own 46.

Hall, who would finish his night completing 11-of-17 for 164 yards, would find Caden Marsh, again in the middle of the field. Marsh hit the right sideline at full speed and dove into the end zone at the pylon to give Toombs a 13-6 lead. Mata’s PAT made it 14-6.

Vidalia managed to get into field goal position again before halftime. After a sack of Davis ended a time consuming drive, the Indians called on McDaniel again, this time to cut the lead to 14-6 at the half.

After an excellent halftime show by both bands, the defenses of both teams flexed their muscles in the third quarter.

Vidalia was the first team to get things going in the second half, driving deep into Toombs County territory where Davis found Kaleb Bennett in the Northwest corner of the end zone.

After a penalty for a dead ball personal foul, McDaniel pulled his extra point kick just to the left of the goal post to keep the score at 14-12 with 10:32 still left in the game.

On their next pocession, Hall hit two big plays to Cam Robinson. The first was a long pass on third and long. Robinson was covered well but made a great catch to give the Bulldogs a first down at the Vidalia 30.

A couple of plays later, Hall found Robinson again in the flat. Robinson maneuvered through traffic and finally got tackled at the goal line and fell into the end zone. The score gave his team a two-score lead at 21-12 after Mata’s extra point.

Vidalia answered again, quickly. The Indians drove and Davis hit Bennett again in the back of the end zone for a 40yard touchdown pass that cut it to 21-19 after Mc-Daniel’s extra point with 1:31 left in the game.

Using their lone timeout, and by knocking a Toombs running back out of bounds, the Indians were able to get the ball back at their 30 with less than 30 seconds left.

After Davis hit Jordan Powell, who made a tremendous catch on the Vidalia sideline. After spiking the ball he hit Bennett again at the Toombs 33. Bennett appeared to get out-of-bounds with 4 seconds left; but the referees ruled that the clock ran out, and Toombs County had won the county championship.

For Vidalia, Bryce Davis had a great night throwing the ball, completing 29-of-39 passes for 238 yards and two TD’s. Kaleb Bennett had a fine night, catching 4 passes for 98 yards and two TD’s. Jacaree Washington caught 13 Davis passes for 96 yards. For the victorious Bulldogs, Hall completed 11-of-17 passes for 164 yards and three TD’s. Robinson had 4 catches for 66 yards and a TD. Marsh, with 1 pass reception for 54 yards and a TD, and Watts, with 1 reception for 31 yards and a TD also contributed the big plays that led to the Toombs County victory.

Vidalia will host Bacon County in a mustwin victory this Friday if the Indians want to get into the playoffs. Toombs County still has a chance of at least tying for the Region Title. They must beat Swainsboro at Swainsboro this Friday, which upset unbeaten Jeff Davis last Friday night.

Toombs County’s Tamarian McArthur finds some running room in the first half of the Bulldogs’ game against Vidalia.Photo by Mike Branch

Vidalia’s sophomore receiver Jacaree Washington, who caught 13 passes for 96 yards takes off for good yardage after taking a tunnell screen pass from QB Bryce Davis.Photo by Mike Branch

TCHS quarterback Gavin Hall looks outside for an open receiver as Toombs moves the ball inside VHS territory.Photo by Mike Branch

Vidalia QB Bryce Davis found himself surrounded for most of the night when he tried to run. Here, Wil Watts (#19) and Tank Morris (#32) stop Davis’s attempt to get outside.Photo by John W. Conner

Wil Watts goes in for the first touchdown of the game to give TCHS a 6-3 lead after catching a 28-yard pass from TCHS quarterback Gavin Hall.Photo by Mike Branch

Tate McDaniel drilled this early field goal to give his Indians an early 3-0 lead in Friday’s county rivalry game at Booster Stadium in Lyons.Photo by John W. Conner