Valiants take on No. 1 Warriors

By Chris Walsh

October 26, 2007 12:53 am

— VALDOSTA — Tonight Valwood Stadium will host what very well could be the GISA 3-AA game of the year, as the defending region champion and state runner-up Valwood Valiants (6-1) play host to the top ranked GISA Class AA team in the state, the Brookwood Warriors (7-0).
“We’ve got a mighty tough task this week,” said Valwood head coach Mike Patrick on Thursday. “They have a great coach in Shane Boggs, and a bunch of hungry kids that are very good. They are definitely the team to beat in GISA-AA right now.”
Last year, the Valiants traveled to Thomasville and handed Brookwood their first region loss, and third total loss of the season, 28-21. Three weeks later, the Valiants beat the Warriors 3-0 in a round-robin play-off to win region 3-AA.
The two teams had another chance to play in the state championship game, but Brookwood fell to eventual the eventual champs, Trinity Christian.
“They were a mighty tough ball club last year and I think they’re even better this year,” said Coach Patrick. “Last year we won that game, but turned around and lost to SGA the next week which shows the parity in our league.”
Before last year, the Warriors had owned the match-up, winning for four straight years. The closest Valwood had come to beating Brookwood was in 2002, when they fell 17-14.
The Warriors come into town as the top-ranked team in the land, and are well deserving of that title. Brookwood has dominated opponents all season and they are outscoring opponents by an average of 20 points per game.
The Brookwood offense has received the majority of the attention this season with senior All-State quarterback Scott Cheney lighting up the scoreboards. The Warriors are averaging 37.9 points per game and scored a season-high 54 points against Eagle Nest Christian Academy four weeks ago.
On the year, Cheney is 62-for-104, with 1,587 yards, 18 touchdowns, and only two interceptions. He has thrown for 10 more touchdowns and nearly 600 more yards than anyone else in GISA-AA.
“He’s the best thing I’ve seen at this level, he reminds me of a young Chris Hatcher,” said Coach Patrick.
“(Cheney) can pick you apart and read the defense. He is a quality quarterback that will play at the next level, so it all starts with him.”
Cheney’s receiving core is also the state’s best, with three players ranking in the top four in receptions and yards. Keith Bentley leads the team with 24 receptions for 415 yards and two touchdowns and Blair Austin has 21 receptions for 344 yards and five touchdowns.
Running back Drew Balfour has also seen a lot of balls thrown his way. He has 24 receptions for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Balfour has also run the ball well, gaining 311 yards and seven touchdowns on 50 carries.
To compliment the offense, Brookwood has also put together a tough defense that is only allowing 17.1 points per game.
Ethan Howell is the team’s leading tackler with 36 and Clay Childs leads the team with two sacks. Sean Bell leads the secondary with three interceptions, one returned for a touchdown.
“They run a 3-5-3 and it’s a unique defense, but they run it well,” said Patrick. “One thing that impressed me is that their line is bigger and stronger.”
“Their secondary is full of size and speed too, which makes it tough to run or throw against them.”
Valwood is coming off their second straight victory, defeating Piedmont last Friday, 20-6. The Cougars were held to their second lowest point total of the season and allowed their third highest point total.
The Valiant offense will again be led by senior quarterback Zac Henry, who also serves as the team’s kicker. Henry will continue to look for his favorite targets in Carter Karras, Rob Blanton, and Cole Parker.
Valwood’s offense, however, will again revolve around their strong running combination of Robert Hires and Ricky Williams. Both found the end zone during last week’s victory.
The Valwood defense will tell the story of the game though as they try and slow down an explosive Brookwood team. Seniors Jon Rutkowski, Kyle Hall, and Trey Sands will try and cause havoc up front, while Todd Baker and Nick Smith roam from the safety spots.
Region 3-IAA starts inter-region play this week for all four teams and the other big game features Southwest Georgia Academy against Tiftarea. With only two teams eligible for the post-season, every game counts.
All four teams in 3-IAA have winning records going into this Friday’s games.
“Brookwood is the favorite in our region, but two through four could go any way,” said Coach Patrick. “If you slip up and lose you are in a do-or-die situation. We know every week’s going to be tough.”
The Valwood Valiants host the Brookwood Warriors tonight with kick-off set for 7:30 p.m.