Indians Dominate Warriors
Courtesy of VHS
The Vidalia High School Indians football team got a 92yard kickoff return from AJ McLendon on the opening kick of the game and never looked back in a decisive 43-6 win over Tattnall County Friday night at Buck Cravey Field.
The win was the second in a row for the Indians who move to 2-1 on the year and will next travel to Brantley County on Friday to take on the Herons.
The Indians scored on their first five possessions of the night, taking a 36-0 lead into the half and then cruising under a running clock in the 2nd half to the 37-point win.
The Indians wracked up 281 yards of offense while holding the Battle Creek Warriors to just 48 yards in the first half, the 2nd week in a row, where the defense has held an opponent to under 50 total yards in the opening half.
Following the return by McLendon, the Indians defense stymied the Warriors offense forcing a three and out. After a short punt, the Indians offense went back to work at their own 49-yard line, with Jackson Berry taking the first snap of the night for the Indians and scampering 41-yards to the Tattnall 10-yard line.
On the very next play, Alton Boles took care of the final 10-yards scoring his 2nd touchdown of the year. On the Extra Point, a low snap was picked up by holder Ian Moye, who scooped the ball of the ground and sprinted to the right corner of the end zone, and the Indians led 15-0 just 2:50 seconds into the game.
Again, the Indians defense held the Warriors to a three and out after the Tattnall punter mishandled the snap, the Indians took over at the Tattnall 11yard line. Three plays later Berry pushed his way into the end zone, and Adam Crutchfield’s PAT extended the Indians' lead continued from page
to 22-0 with 5:43 to go in the 1st quarter.
Following the ensuing kick on the third play from scrimmage Jerryon Roundtree picked off a TJ Flemming pass at the Indian 28-yard line. On the very first play of the possession, Berry hit Justus Gabbard on a long 72-yard pass play, setting up the Indians at the Tattnall 6-yard line.
Three plays later, McLendon scored his second touchdown of the night on a 1-yard run giving the Indians a 29-0 lead, following another successful PAT from Crutchfield, who also had two kicks for touchbacks.
Yet again, the Indian smothering defense forced a Warrior three and out and forced yet another punt. The Indians then went on a 9-play five-minute drive, leading to a Jackson Berry 27-yard touchdown pass to Germanick Durham, giving the Indians a 36-0 lead, which they carried into the half.
The second half was quickly played under a running clock, but the Indians were able to put together a 6:07 nine play drive which was capped by AJ McLendon’s 3rd touchdown of the night, a 23-yard run to give the Indians a 43-0 lead.
Tattnall County got a late score from Cam Davis on an 8-yard run to make the final score 43-6.
Following the game, Vidalia Head Coach Rodney Garvin said he was pleased by the way his team “got after it” from the opening kick. “Our guys played hard from start to finish tonight and I am so proud of that. We can take nothing but positives out of tonight’s performance.”
Garvin also tipped his hat the large Vidalia fan base, “I am so proud of our fans and the way that they have showed up and supported our players the past two weeks. The atmosphere has been nothing short of great!”
The Indians will hit the road the next two weeks, before getting to the halfway point in the season. This week the Indians will travel to Nahunta to take on Brantley County at 7:30 p.m.
