Vidalia Dominates Beach
Courtesy of VHS
The Vidalia High School Indians moved to 2-0 on the year with a dominating win over the Beach Bulldogs 48-0 on Friday night at Buck Cravey Field. The Senior Night victory was the first shutout since 2019, giving the Indians a 2-0 start for the first time since 2018. A downpour marred the senior night celebration, but that didn’t stop several Indian seniors from turning in outstanding performances.
The Indians dominated on both sides of the ball, racking up 298 yards of offense on a wet field, while the quick and hard-striking defense held the Bulldogs to just 118 total yards. Eight different Indians carried the ball, with Antonio Barron leading the way with 77 yards on six carries and a touchdown, for a 12.8-yard average.
Barron got the Indians on the board first with a run from 10 yards out on the game’s opening drive. The Indians then lined up in the “swinging gate” formation and got the ball to senior Tre Adams, who scored the two-point conversion to give Vidalia a 7-0 lead just a little over three minutes into the game.
On the ensuing kickoff, Adam Crutchfield’s kick deflected off a Bulldog and into the hands of another senior, Samarion Oglesby, and the Indians were back in business. Two minutes and sixteen seconds later, the Indians were back in the endzone when quarterback Jackson Berry hit Jacaree Washington on a 40-yard pass; and following Berry’s 2-pt pass to senior Kaleb Bennett, the Indians led 16-0 with 5:58 to go in the opening quarter. Starting in just his second varsity game, Berry finished the night 6 of 9 for 87-yards and one touchdown.
The Indians' Special Teams continued to come up big on the following kickoff when a Beach receiver misplayed Crutchfield’s kick, and Tre Adams recovered the ball, setting up the Indians’ next score. That score came with 2:55 to go in the quarter when yet another senior, Ahmelion Jones, took it in from 8-yards out to give the Indians a 22-0 lead after a failed 2-point try.
Beach got their first offensive possession of the game with just under three-minutes to go in the opening quarter. But a stingy defense led by Ronald Pointer (6 total tackles) and senior Trace Thompson (6 total tackles/2 for a loss and a forced fumble) kept the Bulldogs in check all night. The Indian defense allowed just 67-total yards on the ground while coming up with a defensive score in the 3rd-quarter.
The Indians got their 4th and final score of the half when Trace Thompson continued from page
powered his way in from 3-yards out to give the Indians a 29-0 lead following Crutchfield’s kick with 11:55 to go in the half.
The Indians got their first score of the 2nd half when Thompson hit a Beach ball carrier at the line of scrimmage, causing a fumble which was scooped up by yet another senior, Aiden Clark, who took the ball in from 25 yards out for the score. Crutchfield’s kick was pulled to the left, so with 7:24 left in the 3rd quarter, the Indians led Beach 35-0.
The Indians’ offense was not through. After another defensive stop, the Indians mounted a drive that was capped off by a Tre Adams 6-yard run to put Vidalia up 42-0, following Cutchfield’s successful kick with 3:22 to go in the 3rd.
The Indians’ final score of the night came 1:36 into the last quarter when Pointer took the ball in from 6-yards out to give Vidalia a 48-0 lead. The 4th quarter was played with a running clock but allowed several back-ups and young Indians some significant playing time as the Indians capped off a successful senior night 48-0.
On the night, the Indians had 183-yards on the ground and another 115-yards through the air. Along with Berry’s 87 yards, Antonio Barron was 3 of 4 for 28 yards. Barron, with 77-yards, led the ground attack, with Adams ending the night with 40-yards on five carries and 1 TD.
The Indians will go after their 3rd win in a row Friday night when they host Pinewood Christian Academy at Buck Cravey Field, beginning at 7:30 p.m. It will be the first time that Vidalia has ever faced a team from the GISA.
