Trailing 21-12 with 5:07 to go in the game, the Vidalia Indians mounted a furious comeback only to see their effort come up seconds short as they fell to Toombs County 21-19, Friday night in Lyons.
After Bryce Davis hit Kaleb Bennett for his 2nd touchdown of the night, the Indians trailed 21-19 with just 1:31 to go in the game. Following an unsuccessful onside kick attempt, Toombs County would have the ball at their 45-yard line with a chance to run out the clock, with the Indians having only one time out. But the Indians defense forced a loss on the first play, calling their timeout. On the next play, the Vidalia defense forced the runner out of bounds stopping the clock with just over a minute to go. On third down, the swarming Indian defense stopped the Toombs runner, forcing a Toombs punt.
The Indians would fair catch the ball on their thirty-yard-line with less than 30 seconds to go in the game. On the first play, Davis hit Jordan Powell for a huge gain to the Bulldog 37-yard line. Unable to get out of bounds, the Indian offense would scramble to the line, and Davis would clock the ball to stop the clock with 9 seconds to go in the game.
Davis would scramble to his right on the next play and find Bennett at the Toombs 37-yard line for the catch. Bennett would appear to get out of bounds with the line judge signaling an out of bounds play and a first down with 4-seconds to go in the game. But as the Indians were moving personnel onto the field for a potential game-winning 52-yard yard field-goal try by Tate McDaniel, the clock started, and time ran out before the Indians could even get set up, ending the game.
After the game, when asked what explanation the official gave him, Indian Head Coach Jason Cameron said, “they told us that K.B. didn’t get out of bounds and it was just a first down, so that’s why the clock started. We thought he got out of bounds, because that’s what the referee signaled, but apparently that wasn’t the case.”
On the night, the Indians outgained Toombs by 85-yards, limiting Toombs to just 68 total yards in the 2nd half. But the Indians were again unable to put the ball in the end zone on two occasions, having to settle on Field Goals by McDaniel.
The Indians took the ball on the game’s opening drive and would turn the ball over on a fumble at their 30-yard line. But the Indian defense forced a four-play and out, and Vidalia took the ball over on their 30-yard line.
The Indians would then go on a nine-play drive to the Toombs County 17- yard line but could not push it in for six and would get a 34-yard field goal from McDaniel to make the score 3-0.
After forcing Toombs to a three and out, the Indian offense would begin their next possession on their 47-yard line. But the Toombs defense wouldn’t allow the Indians to move and force them into a punting situation. With Davis standing on his 39-yard line, the punt snap sailed over his head and bounced on the turf to the 30-yard line where Toombs would take over.
Toombs would get their first score of the night three plays later when Gavin Hall hit Will Watts on a 28-yard pass with 1:14 to go in the 1st quarter to make the score 7-3. Toombs would get their second score of the night on their next possession when on 3rd and long, Hall would hit Caden Marsh on a 54-yard strike to take the lead to 14-3 with 11:01 to go in the half.
The Indians would then go on a long, time-consuming drive, eating up 9:19 off the clock and taking the ball to the Toombs 15-yard line, before a loss of yardage to the 24, forced McDaniel’s 2nd Field Goal of the night, this time a 42-yarder which cut the lead to 14-6 at the half.
Neither team would be able to do anything offensively in the 3rd quarter, but Davis would pull the Indians within two, four plays into the 4th quarter when he hit Bennett in the back left corner of the endzone to make it 14-12 with 10:32 to go in the game. The Indians planned to go for two, but a 15-yard penalty following the score forced McDaniel’s attempt to be taken from the 28-yard line, which missed just the left of the upright.
The Indians looked to get the ball back in good field position after putting Toombs into a 3rd and long from their 30-yard line. But Hall would throw up a ball at the Indian 35-yard line, which Cam Robinson would wrestle away from an Indian defender, giving Toombs a 1st down with five and a half minutes to go in the game. Two plays later, it was the same combination for Toombs, this time for a 27-yard score to make it 21-12 with 5:07 left in the game.
The Indians would then go on a drive that saw Davis hit Bennett on the score, setting up the final sequence, as the Indians came up short 21-19.
The Indians finished the night with 285 yards, with Davis going 29 for 37 through the air for 238 yds, with 2 T.D.’s and an interception. The senior now has 1379 passing yards with 11 T.D.’s and 660 yards rushing with 8 T.D.’s. Bennett finished the night with 98 yards receiving and two T.D.’s while Jacaree Washington added another 96 yards.
The Indians are now 2-6 on the year and 1-2 in 2AA Play and face a must-win against Bacon County this Friday night if they are to make the playoffs. Kickoff for Recreation Night is 7:30 from Buck Cravey Field. (Pictures by Carroll Williams) (Courtesy of VHS)
