VALDOSTA — There was a basic theme to Lowndes’ game plan against Roswell Friday.

“Hit them early, and don’t look back.”

That’s what Lowndes center Ethan Barwick said the Vikings wanted to do in the Class AAAAA state quarterfinals, and that’s exactly what the Region 1-AAAAA champions did.

The Vikings pounded their way to a 31-20 victory against the Hornets, and sealed a trip to the Georgia Dome for next Saturday’s matchup against Camden County.

“Lowndes always comes out hitting early,” Lowndes fullback Adrian Hargett said. “That’s just what we do. That’s what we practice.”

The Vikings received the opening kickoff, and handed the ball once to Hargett for four yards, threw for one of their three passes, this one incomplete, and then handed the ball to Greg Reid.

Reid took the ball around the corner of the defensive line, then juked his way to a 56-yard touchdown run.

The Hornets answered right back with a long scoring play of their own, running five plays before going deep.

Roswell quarterback Dustin Taliaferro hit Garrett Embry for a 59-yard touchdown pass exactly three minutes after Lowndes’ score.

The Vikings and their offensive line responded, plowing the way for a 7-yard run by Reid, and two plays later, a 43-yard run by Hargett. After a 5-yard run by Darriet Perry, down to the Hornets’ 20-yard line, Tavaris Williams grinded past the line of scrimmage and punched it in from 15 yards out.

The Hornets’ offense continued to come up with plays, picking up four first downs on the next drive, but a big third-down stop by Lowndes limited them to a field goal attempt.

The 40-yard try was blocked by Lowndes’ Kelly Dawsey, and the loose ball was scooped up by Marcus Solomon, who brought it out from the Hornets’ 21-yard line up to the 35, where the Vikings took over.

Lowndes proceeded to pound the ball, going up the middle with its fullback seven times, including six carries by Hargett.

Hargett ripped off runs of 14, 10, 19, 12, 1 and 5 yards, before Williams picked up his second score of the night on a 3-yard rush.

The Vikings’ fullbacks got the ball rolling early, carrying the ball 22 times for 136 yards.