The Bleckley County Royals used three first-quarter scores and never looked back, defeating The Vidalia Indians 56-15 Saturday afternoon in Vidalia. The Royals racked up 539 total yards, including 392 on the ground, while a smothering defense held the Indians under 200 yards of total offense for the first time since the opening game against ECI. The loss which eliminated the 2AA Champions from the playoffs was the widest margin of victory over a Vidalia team since 2005.
Bleckley County wasted little time getting on the board, scoring on their 1st possession of the game. After holding Vidalia to a three and out on their 1st possession, Bleckley would drive it 63 yards in 5 plays taking only 48 seconds off the clock to score on a Dominic Sasser 10-yard pass to Jacob Johnson to make it 7-0.
The Indians’ offense could not get anything going on their next drive and again were forced to punt, giving Bleckley Co. the ball at their own 47-yard line. This time the Indian defense responded and forced the Royals to punt. Following the punt, the Indians mounted their longest drive of the first half, an 11 play drive, which took them to the Bleckley 49 yard line before turning the ball over on downs.
Bleckley would score twice more before the end of the quarter, the first on a Chuckie Stephens 1 yard run, set up by Jahvon Butler’s 48-yard run to make it 14-0. And the 2nd came just 1:57 later when Sasser hooked up with Jaden Mobley on a 58-yard catch and run to make it 21-0.
Bleckley County would add another score with just 13 seconds left when Butler would take it in from 18 yards out to make it 28-0 at the break.
The Indians would get the second half started in good fashion and gained some momentum on the first series of the half when Jaylin Burns picked off a Sasser pass and returned the ball inside Royal territory. A dead ball 15-yard penalty for a “horse collar” tackle gave the ball to the Indians at the Bleckley 33 yard line. On the first play of the drive, Bryce Davis would find Jamar Mack across the middle at the 12-yard line, and the Senior receiver did the rest taking it in for the score to make it 28-8 following a successful 2 point conversion.
The momentum was short-lived, though, as Bleckley would respond with a score of their own 4 plays later on a Stephens 43 yard run to make it 35-8 with 8:13 to go in the quarter. Bleckley would score three more times in the half, with Bryce Davis scoring the other Indian touchdown early in the 4th quarter to make the final 56-15.
The Indians finish the year at 7-3 and say goodbye to a large senior class who finished their career at 28-13. They also made it to the playoffs all four years and were 3-1 against Toombs County. (Courtesy of Vidalia High School)
