Valdosta dominated the yardage in the first half, outgaining Jonesboro 166-36. But the score was tied 7-7 at halftime.

On the opening possession of the game, Valdosta had just driven into Jonesboro territory when disaster struck. Rowe tried to throw a screen pass, but the ball hit off the hands of the receiver and went in the air. Jonesboro’s Perry Woods picked the pass out of the air, and ran it back 50 yards untouched for a touchdown. Cheney’s extra point gave the Cardinals a 7-0 lead.

Valdosta moved the ball early on, but the drives kept stalling.

Early in the second quarter, Valdosta tied the score, driving 80 yards in eight plays. Johnson had runs of 17, 15 and 16 yards on the first three plays of the drive, and moved the ball into Cardinal territory. Later, Travoris Belcher took a screen pass 20 yards on third down, down to the Jonesboro 6. On second-and-goal from the 2, operating out of the split-T formation, Rowe gave to Johnson on a dive, and the senior back plowed into the end zone for the touchdown.

Jonesboro retook the lead late in the third quarter, after a Johnathan Smith interception gave the Cardinals possession at the VHS 47. Crews’ 23-yard run on a quarterback sneak moved the ball to the 15. Three penalties helped stall the drive, but then Cheney kicked a 44-yard field goal to give the Cardinals a 10-7 lead.

Valdosta drove the ball to the Cardinal 27 on the ensuing possession, but turned the ball over on downs. But soon after, the Wildcats blocked the punt, which set up the winning score.

Before Jonesboro took over for its final drive, the Wildcats killed most of the clock with a 10-play drive, all the way to the Jonesboro 8. But a delay of game penalty and an incompletion stalled the drive, and Stephenson missed a 30-yard field goal.

Valdosta begins its Region 1-AAAAA season next week, traveling to No. 2 Northside, which edged AAA No. 1 Carver 7-6 on Friday.