VALDOSTA – Valdosta High School secured a commanding 63-10 victory over region opponent Camden County on Friday night, fueled by a five-touchdown performance from senior running back Deron Foster. The win marked Valdosta’s largest margin of victory this season and sets the stage for a critical matchup against undefeated rival Lowndes for the Region 1-7A Championship in the 45th Winnersville Classic next week.
Deron Foster's standout night included 166 rushing yards on 21 carries, pushing him over 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season. Foster reached this milestone with 5:51 remaining in the contest. This performance was his seventh consecutive 100-yard rushing game and his sixth straight with at least three rushing touchdowns this season. Foster, an Oregon State commit, emphasized his drive, stating he was "trying to prove everybody wrong" and that "I might be undersized, but I’m still that guy."
Valdosta's offense was highly efficient, racking up 558 total yards and 24 first downs. Senior quarterback Tripp Perry completed 15 of 17 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with Foster, Marquis Fennell, and Jamarian Mingo. Fennell, despite a season-low 39 rushing yards on eight carries, was a major factor in the passing game with a game-high eight catches for 157 yards, also contributing two touchdowns overall (one rushing). Mingo added two catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. Valdosta head coach Shelton Felton credited his offensive staff and Perry's playmaking, saying Perry "made the right reads and got the ball to the playmakers."
On defense, Valdosta forced three fumbles. Senior Ladarrius McIntyre recovered a fumble at the Camden 34 and later scored on a 27-yard scoop and score with 38 seconds left in the third quarter. Coach Felton noted the team took criticisms about their defense personally after giving up 44 points last week, stating, "We just came out and played solid football and played team football in all three phases." He also praised his defensive staff, including Coach Hood, for accepting the challenge to improve.
Valdosta established dominance early, scoring 49 points in the first half. Perry led a seven-play, 70-yard scoring drive on Valdosta's first possession, ending with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Mingo with 10:06 left in the first quarter. Camden fumbled on its first play from scrimmage, which McIntyre recovered, leading to Foster's 7-yard touchdown run and a quick 14-0 lead for Valdosta. Another Camden fumble on the ensuing kickoff gave Valdosta excellent field position, allowing Foster to score again from 17 yards away with 7:52 left in the first quarter, making it 21-0. Perry then found Fennell for a 23-yard touchdown after a seven-play, 64-yard drive, pushing the lead to 28-0. Perry’s third touchdown pass of the night was a 39-yard connection to Foster, marking Foster’s first receiving touchdown of the season and extending Valdosta's lead to 35-0. Foster's fourth touchdown was a 49-yard run with 7:21 left in the first half.
Camden County's only touchdown came with 3:18 left in the half, a 16-yard pass from Xavier Collins to Sean Green. Jacob Vermilyea added a 35-yard field goal as time expired in the half, making the score 49-10. Camden finished the game with just 145 total yards and 10 first downs. Collins completed 10 of 17 passes for 78 yards and rushed nine times for 47 yards. Green led Camden's receiving with five catches for 47 yards and the lone touchdown. The 10 points scored by Camden were their fewest against Valdosta since October 2, 2015.
Valdosta will travel to face rival Lowndes in the 45th Winnersville Classic on October 30 at 8 p.m. Both teams enter the Classic undefeated, with the winner claiming the Region 1-7A Championship. Coach Felton confirmed the team's long-term focus, stating, "The goal is this game, Game 9. We’ll be undefeated with a chance to win the region championship." Camden County will close out its regular season at home against Colquitt County on October 30 at 7:30 p.m.
