Vikings Shut Down Comets

After falling behind in last year's game in Valdosta, South Gwinnett made a valiant comeback only to fall 34-26. This year, the Comets fell behind again and this time the Comets could not come back as Lowndes County ran away with a 45-13 victory.

The visiting Vikings used two special team touchdowns to win against , during its season opener August 19, at Richard Snell Community Stadium.

South Gwinnett held the mighty Vikings on their first drive, and with a backup quarterback starting, Mason Hart drove the Comets to the 38-yard line of the Vikings. Then he found Mark Watts on a fade pattern in the corner of the endzone. The Comets' Coray Keel made the extra point to give South Gwinnett a 7-0 lead with 9:25 to go in the first period.

That lead didn't last long, as the Vikings' Tre Lang took the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Matt Mackenstein missed the point, but South Gwinnett still led 7-6 with 9:08 to go in the first. Lowndes held and marched down the field, where Mike Moore scampered up the middle for a nine-yard touchdown. Moore added the 2-point conversion for a 14-7 lead with 5:49 left in the first period.

It stayed that way, as Lowndes drove down the field and was at the one-yard line with a fourth and goal. The Comet defense held, but they were not able to capitalize. Keel was lined up to punt when Lowndes tackle Stacey Wright blocked the punt and fell on it in the end zone with 3:37 left in the first half. Mackenstein added the extra point for a 21-7 lead. Tre Lang picked off his first pass and moved to the 30-yard line with just over two minutes remaining in the half. Mackenstein added a 28-yard field goal as the first half horn sounded and the Vikings led 24-7 at halftime.

South went into the locker room and made some adjustments. In the third quarter, just as they started the game, South Gwinnett drove to the Lowndes 48-yard line when Travon Davis bolted up the middle for the score. However, Amar Salihic missed the extra point, and Keel was injured. The Comets cut the lead to 24-13 with 9:54 left in the third period, but from there it was all Vikings.

Josh Harvey-Clemons scored on a seven-yard run, and Mackenstein added the point after the touchdown, with 6:02 in the third. South Gwinnett tried to hold, but Lowndes kept getting the ball back. Clemons added a four-yard run with 9:08 in the fourth, and Dee Daniels put the icing on the cake with a four-yard run of his own, with 4:06 left in the game. Mackenstein added both extra points.

Lowndes finished with 251 total yards, and South Gwinnett had 196. Lowndes ran 60 plays to South's 56. With the game statistics so close, it was the special teams and two Lang interceptions that proved to do South Gwinnett in. In addition, the Comets had 88 yards in penalties. Hart finished 17-25 for 108 yards, but had the two inteceptions.

"We are just young with a lot of junior and sophomore's out there," said South Gwinnett Head Coach John Small. "We made too many mistakes and penalties as well."

The Comets will travel to play the M.L. King Lions next week before taking a week off.