Valwood enters state playoffs against Southland
Nov. 17—VALDOSTA — The Valwood Valiants are gearing up for their first game of the 2023 GIAA 3A state tournament tonight, hosting District 3 rival Southland Academy. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. at Goddard Field.
A win would move Valwood into the semifinals. That would be another home game for the Valiants, either against Frederica Academy or Terrell Academy. The Valiants have faced Terrell this year and were to have faced Frederica had Hurricane Idalia not happened.
Georgia High School Football Daily projects the Valiants as a 33-point favorite over Southland. Valwood (8-1) won in the regular season by a 49-0 score. However, Southland has experienced a late surge of sorts.
The Raiders (5-6) come in with a three-game winning streak. The two at the end of the year were enough to bump the Americus school from being the GIAA's eighth seed to seventh, and they dispatched Lakeview Academy in the first round, 35-14.
It was a 7-7 halftime tie between the schools, but Southland opened the second half with three consecutive touchdowns to open a 28-7 lead. The Americus Times-Recorder credited running back Trey Sellers with 143 rushing yards on 17 carries.
Whereas the Raiders were led by Sellers, Valwood can call on a variety of names in the backfield, which is one of the most stacked in the state.
Valwood's offense has been nearly unstoppable all season. No Georgia team has held them under 40 points in 2023. The Valiants have been loaded with rushers, with official stats crediting them with an average of 9.6 yards per carry.
Both De'Mar Riley and Marquis Fennell are good for more than a first down every time they run the ball. Fennell leads with 15 rushiing touchdowns. Triston White is at 11, with Riley at 9 and quarterback Tayt Snellgrove at 8.
They've been no slouches throwing, either, and Riley has caught six touchdowns and has 424 receiving yards.
Two weeks ago, the Valiants hung 77 points on Brookwood, shattering a school record.
Valwood's previous mark was 66, scored against Mount Pisgah in 2003. Should they score 33 tonight, they would be the second most prolific scoring team in school history, behind the 2012 state championship squad.
The rest of the Class 3A bracket sees No. 1 John Milledge Academy host Tiftarea Academy and No. 4 Brookwood host Pinewood Christian.
