By Becky Taylor

becky.taylor@gaflnews.com

TIFTON — Tift County saw another tough battle Friday, dropping to Lowndes 26-7 on Senior Night. 

For the second straight week, they played a squad extremely close. This time they held Lowndes, who came in averaging 43 points per game, to 17 less than that. A week ago, they held Richmond Hill to 21 points, half of what they had been averaging.

And despite being 0-2 in Region 1-6A, the Blue Devils remain very much in contention for a state tournament appearance.

Lowndes is now 1-1 in 1-6A, tied for second. Valdosta improved to 2-0 with a 7-3 win over Colquitt County, but second place is a logjam. Joining Lowndes with 1-1 marks are Colquitt, Camden County and Richmond Hill. Tift, hanging tough despite an 0-2 mark, can make waves if they upset Colquitt this Friday night.

Special teams played a large role for Lowndes. Their first touchdown came courtesy of a blocked field goal. By game’s end, special teams also blocked a punt for a safety, scoring off the ensuing free kick. Aiden Andrews ended the first half with a field goal.

That the score ended as tame as 26-7 might be a surprise, considering how wild the first 3.5 minutes of the contest were.

The Blue Devils won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. But instead of having first possession, the Vikings were caught off-guard by David Olguin’s pop-up kick, which was recovered by Jaden Nelson at the LHS 27.

Tift picked up 14 yards on the initial drive, but no first downs because of a trio of procedural penalties. Set up at the 28 after a delay, the Devils tried a field goal.Kaleb Barron blocked it and K.J. Massey picked up the bouncing ball and returned it all the way for a touchdown at 8:57.

Andrews provided the first of his three extra points and Lowndes was up 7-0.

Another false start greeted the Blue Devils at their own 20 to start the next drive, but this time they were not rattled.

One snap later, Damieon Dixon spotted Dai’jon Hayes with space on a go route. Hayes reeled in the football and sped down the Viking sideline for an 85-yard score at 8:43. A mere 14 seconds after Lowndes took the lead, Olguin’s kick tied it, 7-7.

The score remained tied through the quarter, with Tift in LHS territory. The first play of the second frame saw a fumble, Lowndes recovering at the 47.

Jayce Johnson picked up a third-and-11 with a 28-yard pass to Jaylin Carter to the 26. Johnson and Aalim Brown gained 10 more on the ground for a first down at the 16.

There, Johnson spotted an open Aidan Sefa. Sefa turned and made his way to the end zone, crossing at 9:16 and giving the Vikes a 14-7 advantage.

Where most of the first and second quarters were quiet, the half ended as wildly as it started.

Olguin punted Lowndes down to the 21 with 1:14 remaining. Two plays into the Lowndes drive, Bryan Melton intercepted a pass at the 48 with 39 seconds left. One snap after that, Landen Wright returned the favor with a pick at the 43 with 23 seconds left.

Brown gained 18 on a screen pass to the 39 and the half seemed destined to end with the sequence gaining no points. But after a Lowndes incompletion and with 3 seconds to go, Tift was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, moving the ball up 15 yards.

Andrews nailed a field goal as time expired, giving the Vikings a 17-7 lead.

The Blue Devils were stopped at their own 10 on the opening drive of the second half. With the punt coming from deep, Lowndes blocked it and the ball rolled out of the end zone before either team could recover.

At 9:57, the lead bumped to 19-7.

Lowndes got good field position from the free kick. Though they struggled to run on the Devils all night, they kept getting enough to continue moving the sticks.

At the 20, Johnson got 14 on a completion, setting up first-and-goal at the 4. There, the Vikings switched Johnson for Marvis Parrish under center and Parrish burst the middle for a 4-yard TD at 6:42.

That was the end of the scoring, but not for lack of effort on the Blue Devils’ part. Twice, they had goal line situations end on downs.

One play after first turnover on downs, Danny Freeman pounced on a Viking fumble to give the ball back to Tift at the 21.

Dixon hit a big pass to Kaden Lawson, Lawson somehow managing to get a foot down at the 6. Bad luck followed, though, with a penalty negating a Nelson touchdown run. A fourth down run was stopped at the 3.

A badly-timed penalty cost the visitors as well in the game. Lowndes had a 95-yard rushing TD wiped out in the third quarter on offsetting penalties.

Dixon’s touchdown pass to Hayes was the longest for Tift County since 2018, when Patrick Felton connected with Tyler Ajiero for 86 yards, also against Lowndes.

Dixon officially finished at 171 yards passing on 11 of 26 attempts. Hayes caught four for 112 yards and a TD.

Holloman led Tift runners with 34 yards on 14 tries.

Besides his interception, Melton had six solo tackles. Freeman had 10 total stops, one for lost yardage.