The Newnan Cougars, coming from behind in the second half for the second straight week, took a chink out of Region 1-AAAAA's armor in Drake Stadium Friday night with a 28-9 win over Valdosta in the first round of the state Class AAAAA playoffs.
Trailing at halftime for the first time this season, be it by only two points, Newnan scored three unanswered touchdowns on the storied Wildcats in the third and fourth quarters to pick up their 11th straight win of the year and their third victory over a 1-AAAAA opponent in the playoffs in as many years.
"It was a great win for us," said Newnan coach Mike McDonald. "Our kids gutted it out. They did what they had to do against a very good football team."
A bad snap on a Valdosta punt set up Newnan's go-ahead-for-good touchdown in the third quarter, but it might have been two defensive stands the Cougars made in the second quarter that turned the tide.
Leading 7-6, the Cougars held off Valdosta's fourth and four at the Newnan 33 and even more impressively first and goal at the Newnan eight a few minutes later.
Valdosta got no points from those two excursions deep into Newnan territory and only a 37-yard field goal just before halftime gave the Wildcats the lead at the break.
"We made a few adjustments at halftime," McDonald said. "We made some changes in our protection on offense and one little adjustment on defense, but mostly we just played really well in the second half."
Quarterback Lendell Arnold passed for two touchdowns on the night and ran for another, giving him 14 of the former for the year and five of the latter, and Nick Hill tacked on a 53-yard scoring sprint in the fourth quarter, his seventh rushing TD of the year, to seal the win.
"We had a lot of big plays on both offense and defense," McDonald said.
Jamal Ransby and Alex Ogletree picked off Valdosta passes and Zander Ogletree was a terror on both sides of the ball, harassing Wildcat quarterback Chad Prain all night from his linebacker slot and catching an Arnold pass for Newnan's first touchdown.
"Our kids did a great job," McDonald added. "It was a tough, physical game just like we knew it would be, but our kids really came through."
Newnan took a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when Arnold threw eight yards to Zander Ogletree to cap an 81-yard, six play drive with just 27 seconds left in the period.
The big play was a 56-yard run by Chris Robinson to the Valdosta 25.
Valdosta cut into the lead almost immediately as Malcolm Mitchell returned the kickoff 88-yards for a touchdown, but Newnan held a 7-6 lead after Tyler Yelito's PAT was wide left.
The two teams had battled without a score for the first 11:33 of the first quarter, before they both tallied points in the final 27 seconds.
Newnan never moved beyond its own 36 in the second quarter while holding off Valdosta before Yelito booted his field goal with only 18 seconds left before halftime.
It ended Newnan's string of 10 straight games leading at intermission.
The Cougars got the game's big break early in the third quarter.
Yelito, also Valdosta's punter, had dropped back to kick at his own 20 after Newnan held the Wildcats on their first possession, but the snap flew over his head.
By the time he chased it down, Newnan defenders were swarming him at the two.
It took three tries plus an offside call on Valdosta, but Arnold snuck it in on third down and the Cougars led 14-9 with 7:08 left in the quarter.
Newnan came right back on its next possession to score again.
Taking over at their own 34 the Cougars used Arnold's arm and legs to up their lead to 21-9.
Arnold passed 30 yards to Alec Ogletree on the drive's third play and then threw the final 19 to Ransby who made a beautiful cutback move on a Valdosta defensive back at the 10 to score.
Newnan tacked on its final points late in the fourth quarter after Alec Ogletree intercepted Prain near the Cougar 30 and returned it to the 47.
Hill burst up the middle on first down and sprinted into the end zone 53 yards away with 4:44 to play.
--
VALDOSTA 6 3 0 0 -- 9
NEWNAN 7 0 14 7 -- 28
1ST QUARTER
N -- Zander Ogletree 8-yard pass from Lendell Arnold (Patrick McAlpin Kick) :35
Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 2:26 (Key play: 56 yard run by Chris Robinson to Valdosta 25)
V -- Malcolm Mitchell 88-yard kickoff return (Kick failed), :15
2ND QUARTER
V -- Zach Wang 35-yard field goal: 18
3RD QUARTER
N - Lendell Arnold 1-yard run (McAlpin kick), 7:08
(Key play: Fumbled punt snap by Valdosta to Wildcats 1-yard line)
N - Jamal Ransby 19 pass from Lendell Arnold (McAlpin kick), 4:21
(Key play: 30 yard pass from Arnold to Alec Ogletree for a first down to Valdosta 19)
4TH QUARTER
N - Nick Hill 53 yard run (McAlpin kick), 4:44
