Valdosta Wildcats
Valdosta Wildcats Versus Camden County Wildcats Preview
By: Ron Reagin
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Camden County Wildcats will bring a lot of Valdosta ties with them to Bazemore-Hyder Stadium on Friday night.
Four members of the Valdosta Wildcats’ 2016 state championship staff is now coaching at Camden: head coach Tucker Pruitt, defensive coordinator Alan Rodemaker, DeMario Jones and Kevin Pych.
Two former Valdosta players are with Camden as well, Phillip Moore, a standout 1,000- yard rusher who graduated in 2011, and 2021 graduate wide receiver Javonte Sherman, coming off a successful career at Middle Tennessee State.
Coach Mike Daily also has ties to Valdosta. They will all be on the visiting sideline when the two sets of Wildcats meet in the Region 1-7A game.
Asked about the connections, Pruitt went down the list and admitted he had not realized how many were on his staff. “It’s been business as usual,” he said. “It shows that the ties in coaching that are built over the years stay with you in your career, whether it be a coach you coached for, a coach on your staff or a player you coached.” Pruitt, who also played college football at Valdosta State, and said he has “a lot of memories in Bazemore-Hyder.”
Rodemaker has been through this before. He was on the Colquitt County staff when the Packers played Valdosta. “To be honest, we are so focused on getting better, week in and week out, that we haven’t talked about it,” Rodemaker said, adding that he is excited to return to Bazemore-Hyder.
Valdosta coach Shelton Felton, in his sixth season, said he has been too busy this week getting his players off “cloud nine” after the big win in Moultrie to think much about the coaching ties. He compared it to Georgia beating Alabama and then losing to Auburn the next week, and said his players, especially his leaders, have responded well so far.
Felton called it “very unique” to have that many coaches with Valdosta ties on one staff, noting that some of them still have family and friends in the stands and in the Wildcat community. “There may be some black and gold Wildcats with mixed emotions,” he joked. He said he is glad to see those guys “still leaning on each other and coaching together” after their time at Valdosta.
Pruitt said he is glad to have the men with Valdosta history, and everyone else on his staff, because they have their hands full getting ready for the ‘Cats.
Rodemaker said it is “going to be a big challenge to slow that offense down,” and the numbers back him up. No. 5 Valdosta (7-0, 1-0) is unbeaten, unbeaten at home and coming off a 52-44 win at Colquitt County, its’ first victory in Moultrie since 2010.
Senior quarterback Tripp Perry, who spent most of three seasons as a backup, had the night of his career there, completing 20 of 25 passes for 383 yards and scoring his first career rushing touchdown.
Deron Foster, an Oregon State commit, has run for 839 yards and 19 touchdowns. Marquis Fennell, a Stanford commit, has 759 rushing yards at 11.5 a carry and 1,419 all-purpose yards, including the 95-yard touchdown run that turned the Colquitt game.
Camden (5-3, 1-1) lost 50-13 at Lowndes before beating Richmond Hill 40-27 at home.
Senior quarterback Xavier Collins has thrown for 1,128 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Sophomore Malakhi Poole has 577 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns.
Senior Sean Green, a receiver and cornerback, has 29 catches for 546 yards and 8 scores, and he took a kickoff back 76 yards against Valdosta last year.
Rodemaker said his defense is getting better every week, a must in a region as tough as Region 1-7A.
The connections will get plenty of attention before kickoff, but every region game carries weight in the standings and the postseason formula, and this one will be settled between the lines.
Felton put it in bigger terms. “Whenever my time ends here, I will want Valdosta to continue the standard that has been here for decades,” he said. “You know, sometimes it feels like it’s Valdosta against everybody!”
Valdosta Wildcat QB Tripp Perry Breaks Out
By: Ron Reagin
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Tripp Perry waited three seasons for a night like this one. The Valdosta senior quarterback threw for a career-high 383 yards, completing 20 of 25 passes, and ran for his first career touchdown as the Wildcats outlasted Colquitt County 52-44 Friday night at the Hawg Pen in the Region 1-7A opener for Valdosta.
It was Valdosta’s first win in Moultrie since 2010, snapping a seven-game losing streak at Mack Tharpe Stadium and avenging last October’s 18-17 loss.
The Wildcats improved to 7-0 and 1-0 in the region and now lead the all-time series 72-35-4 after the 111th meeting. Colquitt fell to 5-3 overall and 1-1 in region play.
In an era when move-ins reshape rosters every fall, Perry is a reminder of the other way to do it. He stayed.
Before this season he had thrown just 71 passes in 17 games over three years mostly as a backup, for 554 yards and one touchdown. He kept working behind the scenes, and as a senior he has turned the job into his own. Friday’s 383 yards came within 171 of everything he threw for in his first three seasons combined.
Valdosta Coach Shelton Felton made sure the quarterback got his credit. Speaking to the Valdosta Daily Times, he pointed out that Perry has been in the program four years and said the Wildcats would not have won without him.
Valdosta’s offense piled up 703 yards, 27 first downs and a 6-for-9 mark on third down.
Oregon State commit Deron Foster scored the first three touchdowns for a 21-0 lead and finished with 114 yards and four scores.
Stanford commit Marquis Fennell rushed 16 times for 200 yards and caught seven passes for 143 more. He also produced the swing of the night, taking a wildcat direct snap 95 yards for a touchdown one play after Colquitt quarterback Khi Mitchell fumbled at the Valdosta 5. That made it 28-7.
Colquitt kept coming. A field goal and a 3-yard Tucker Saporita touchdown after a muffed onside kick cut the lead to 28-17. Perry answered in the final minute of the half, hitting Fennell on a 50-yard strike and then finding Jamarian Mingo for a 15-yard touchdown and a 35-17 cushion at the break.
The Packers opened the second half with a quick touchdown, recovered another onside kick and scored again to pull within 35-31 with 9:28 left in the third. Perry calmly led an 80-yard drive and finished it himself with a 6-yard keeper, the first rushing touchdown of his career, for a 42-31 lead.
Colquitt answered with a Lavorice Blyther touchdown to make it 42-38 entering the fourth quarter. Foster’s fourth touchdown pushed the lead back to 49-38. Mitchell found Antwan Lockett for his third scoring catch, but the 2 point conversion failed, leaving it 49-44.
Alans Garcia’s field goal capped Valdosta’s longest scoring drive of the season, a 6:55 march that made it 52-44 with 60 seconds to play. Colquitt got one more chance, and junior defensive end Arman Carter, ended it with a strip-sack of Mitchell, recovered by Jordin Foster with 13 seconds left.
Mingo finished with seven catches for 171 yards and a touchdown. Garcia was perfect on seven extra points. Dashun Core, Isaiah Langston and Brennan Lampkin each had a sack.
Mitchell threw for 286 yards and three touchdowns, all to Lockett, and ran for 57 more as the Packers totaled 490 yards.
Perry’s season numbers now read 70 of 92 for 1,033 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception. Those are numbers that Perry has worked his entire career for, which started in 6th grade at Valdosta Middle School.
Valdosta hosts Camden County at 8 p.m. Friday at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, with Lowndes the following week.
Foster and Fennell will draw the headlines, as they have all season. But on the night Valdosta finally won in Moultrie again, the quarterback who waited his turn was right in the middle of it, helping lead the Wildcats to another victory.
Cats and Packers
By: Ron Reagin
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Valdosta travels to Mack Tharpe Stadium on Friday for its Region 1-7A opener against Colquitt County. The game is on GPB.
The Wildcats are 6-0. The Packers are 5-2 and already own a region win after beating Richmond Hill 31-14 on the road last week.
Valdosta has played only one game in the last four weeks after a forfeit win over Booker and a scheduled open date.
The Wildcats also spent this week on fall break with no school. They have tried to keep their weekly routine as normal as possible during the open dates, practicing some mornings with meetings and lifts throughout the day.
Still, the biggest unknown is how the players and coaches will respond after the long layoff from the Friday night lights. Most programs are deep into their regular rhythm by October. Valdosta will find out whether the extra rest leaves them sharp or whether the time away shows up early on the road.
The Wildcats have only made one road trip this season, a Week 1 win at Jones County. Moultrie is a difficult place to play, and Valdosta has not won there since 2010. That history adds another layer to a game that historically carries region implications.
Colquitt already has region experience. The Packers led Richmond Hill 17-14 at the half and finished with three interceptions, two of them in the end zone.
Against Richmond Hill, Colquitt completed 13 of 22 passes for 206 yards and 4 touchdowns with no interceptions while rushing for 114 yards.
For the season, Khi Mitchell has thrown for 1,138 yards and 12 touchdowns. Antwan Lockett has 27 catches for 489 yards and six scores.
Colquitt has also played two of the top five teams in Class 6A this year, which has given the Packers a tougher non-region slate than most teams in the region. Their offense has been inconsistent game to game, but the Packers have generated 86.5 tackles for loss and 10 fumble recoveries on defense.
Valdosta’s offense has been efficient through six games. Deron Foster has rushed for 725 yards and 15 touchdowns. Marquis Fennell has added 559 rushing yards, 399 receiving yards, and 14 total touchdowns.
Tripp Perry has completed 74.6 percent of his passes for 650 yards and 7 scores. The Wildcats are averaging well over 400 yards of total offense per game and enter region play as healthy as they have been all season.
Maxwell’s current projections have Valdosta as the No. 1 team in Class 7A with a projected final ranking of No. 1.
Colquitt sits at No. 9 with a projected finish of No. 6.
A win for Valdosta would strengthen its hold on the top spot and keep its path toward a high seed intact. A loss would drop the Wildcats and open the door for other teams to move up.
For Colquitt, a win would improve both its current standing and its projected finish, while a loss would make the climb steeper with tough region games still ahead.
Shelton Felton and Sean Calhoun spent time together on Rush Propst’s staff at Colquitt before both moved into head coaching jobs. They know each other’s tendencies. That shared history rarely decides games, but it means both staffs understand what the other side wants to do.
Valdosta’s recent schedule has been light. Whether the extra rest and altered week leave the Wildcats sharp or a step slow will be one of the early questions on Friday.
Colquitt has already played a competitive region game and comes in with a defense that creates negative plays.
Both teams can move the ball. The difference may come down to which side handles the conditions and atmosphere of the night better, especially with Valdosta making only its second road trip of the year in a place where the Wildcats have not won in a long time.
With the GPB cameras on and both programs in the mix for the Region 1 race, Friday night in Moultrie will give a clearer picture of where each team stands.
Valdosta Wildcats Strong Start
By: Ron Reagin
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Opening the season on the road is never easy, especially with a young defense and a lightning delay that pushed kickoff all the way to 9:20 p.m. Valdosta handled both challenges Friday night and came away with a solid 52-14 win at Jones County.
The Wildcats treated the game like a business trip. They went on the road, took care of business, and left with a victory despite the late start and the usual early-season social media noise.
The offense looked ready from the start. With most of its key pieces returning, Valdosta rolled up 426 yards of total offense — 251 through the air and 175 on the ground. Marquis Fennell and Deron Foster once again formed one of the most dangerous backfield combinations in the state.
Fennell scored four touchdowns just about every way a running back can. He rushed for the game’s first points, caught touchdown passes from two different quarterbacks, and returned a punt 55 yards for another score. He finished with eight catches for 143 yards and two receiving touchdowns, plus nine carries for 48 yards and a rushing score.
Special teams for the Wildcats was solid as well. Along with Fennell’s punt return touchdown, sophomore kicker Alans Garcia handled the kickoffs and made a 36-yard field goal with plenty of distance to spare. New punter Freddy Poole had two punts and averaged 30 yards per punt, with veteran Troy commit long snapper William Mosley handling all the snaps flawlessly.
Oregon State commit Deron Foster did the lion’s share on the ground, carrying 18 times for 107 yards and a touchdown. Senior center Austin Spray and the experienced offensive line helped create running lanes and gave the quarterbacks time to work.
Speaking of the quarterbacks, Tripp Perry delivered the best game of his career. He completed 9 of 12 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns while showing the leadership and command he has displayed throughout the offseason.
When sophomore Lamar Thomas got his opportunity, he answered with a sharp 5-of-8 performance for 84 yards and two touchdowns of his own.
Sophomore Quincy Hunt added a hard-running 30 yards on five carries, and senior wideout Jamarian Mingo hauled in five catches for 87 yards, scoring from both quarterbacks.
Before the game, head coach Shelton Felton was asked what he wanted to see from his young defense. His answer was clear: “I want to see a physical, fast and detailed defense. They could make mistakes but make them full speed… new season, want them to have fun and run to the football.”
Outside of a couple of missed fits on run defense that led to long runs, the defense answered the call. Jones County finished with just 14 points and 245 total yards.
After the game, Coach Felton praised the unit for making adjustments at halftime. When asked how he sees them growing, he said, “One play at a time, one week at a time and one game at a time… gotta stay with us. Growing pains. A lot of guys this is their first time playing big-time football.”
It was not a perfect night, but it was a professional one. The Wildcats did what they were supposed to do on the road in Week 1.
Next Friday night they return to the friendly confines of Bazemore-Hyder Stadium for the home opener against Howard.
After a businesslike start on the road, the Cats will look to keep the momentum going in front of the home crowd over this 5 game home stand.
Valdosta Wildcats’ Dynamic Duo
By: Ron Reagin
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Local restaurant and hangout, Big Nick’s was recently packed as friends, family, teammates, and coaches filled every seat and it was standing room only.
Valdosta High running backs Deron Foster and Marquis Fennell announced their college decisions in front of Valdosta’s faithful fans.
Foster, the every-down back, will head west to Oregon State. Fennell, the explosive playmaker, utility back, will take his talents to Stanford.
Before they head west, they will try to top last year’s performance for the Wildcats. The duo accounted for 64% of all touchdowns last season and 57% of total yards as juniors with both averaging over 100 yards per game in what was a tremendous offense top to bottom.
Deron Foster chose the Beavers over offers from Stanford, Liberty, and Georgia State. The decision came down to the opportunity to play for associate head coach and running backs coach Lee Marks, who has a strong track record developing backs, and new head coach JaMarcus Shephard’s vision.
Foster rushed for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, adding 148 receiving yards and two more scores. He posted nine 100-yard rushing games and sees himself stepping in early in Corvallis.
Marquis Fennell had a long list of suitors, including Colorado, Florida State, and Georgia Tech, but chose Stanford for the combination of football opportunity and elite academics. His mother, Leslie, played a big role in emphasizing the long-term value of the education.
Fennell had a monster junior season with 2,505 all-purpose yards, including 1,480 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground, plus 764 receiving yards and 10 scores through the air.
He expects to be a versatile running back who can impact games from the backfield or out wide to present multiple problems for opposing defense.
Both backs rushed for over 1,000 yards. The last time the Wildcats had 2 rushers over 1,000 yards, was back in 1988 with Isaac Cesar and James Roberts.
Head coach Shelton Felton praised both as great players and even better young men and leaders.
“You’ve got Live at 5 (Foster), you’ve got Category 4 (Fennell),” Felton said. “They are really great kids on and off the field… I’m blessed to have those two as part of my program.”
Both players expressed relief at getting their commitments done early, though Foster admitted he’s not quite ready to move on from the Friday night lights. “There’s nothing like high school ball,” he said.
With unfinished business after falling just short of a state title, both are motivated for a bigger senior season in 2026.
“We all know we have unfinished business,” Fennell said.
This commitment night caps a special chapter for Valdosta’s backfield while setting the stage for what should be another strong year for the running back duo and the Wildcats.
Valdosta Wildcats 2026 Preview
By: Ron Reagin
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Few things matter more in the new Post-Season Ranking Formula (PSRF) era than building the right schedule.
In the Valdosta Wildcats’ case, wins also carry more meaning as they are racing to be the first high school program to reach 1,000 wins.
Valdosta’s 2026 slate looks like a smart, strategic effort designed for this new system to maximize wins both in the regular season and postseason.
Here is the Wildcats’ confirmed 2026 schedule:
Aug. 7: Worth County (Scrimmage)
Aug. 21: @ Jones County
Aug. 28: vs. Howard
Sept. 4: vs. Bradwell Institute
Sept. 11: vs. KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (Homecoming)
Sept. 25: vs. Stockbridge
Oct. 2: vs. Booker High (Sarasota, FL)
Oct. 16: @ Colquitt County
Oct. 23: vs. Camden County
Oct. 30: @ Lowndes (Winnersville Classic)
Nov. 6: vs. Richmond Hill (Senior Night)
The Wildcats will play six home games, three road games, and four tough Region 1-AAAAAAA contests.
Non-Region Breakdown: Valdosta’s non-region schedule looks well-balanced.
The road trip opener to Jones County and home games against Stockbridge and Booker High (Sarasota, FL) provide quality competition that should boost both OWP and OOWP.
Booker, a consistent playoff team in Florida, could prove to be a strong addition.
The home games against Howard, Bradwell Institute, and KIPP Atlanta Collegiate are winnable matchups that should help build the win column without being too soft.
But as we all know too well, you can never overlook an opponent that has nothing to lose. Those types of teams historically pull out all the stops to beat Valdosta.
The Region 1 Gauntlet: Region 1-AAAAAAA remains one of Georgia’s strongest regions year after year.
The late-season stretch: @ Colquitt County, vs. Camden County, @ Lowndes, and vs. Richmond Hill will be critical.
In a small five-team region, every result carries heavy weight under PSRF. Avoiding a late-season loss will be critical in maintaining a strong playoff seed.
From the unbiased broadcast booth, a 9-1 record with three region wins feels like the most realistic strong outcome.
That should position Valdosta comfortably inside the top 20 statewide with a favorable seed. However, most Valdosta fans will not be happy with anything but a championship.
The expectation to win, especially after a region championship and semifinal run last season, is even higher this year.
Strengths: Six home games help accumulate wins for the 35% winning percentage component.
Quality non-region opponents (especially Booker, Stockbridge, and Jones County) combined with a tough region give Valdosta a legitimate strength-of-schedule advantage without sacrificing winnable games.
Risks: As we’ve alluded to with the new PSRF, late-season swings are very real. The final four games are all region contests. A tough stretch in October and early November could drop the Wildcats several spots in the rankings even with a winning record. This risk is one that all Region 1 teams will be trying to avoid.
Overall, Valdosta’s 2026 schedule appears well-constructed for the PSRF era. It balances winnable home games with enough quality competition to reward a strong season.
Valdosta fans should be excited, as this slate gives the Wildcats a legitimate chance at a high seed and deep playoff run.
At The Top
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are almost midway through the high school football regular season. Let’s take a look at some of the top teams in 6A.
#1 Grayson: The Rams are the defending state champions and are off to a 4-0 start. They started the season with a 51-3 win at Colllins Hill. They beat Rabun Gap-Nacoochee 24-19 and Thompson (AL) 24-23. Their last game was September 5th against Mallard Creek (NC) and they won 63-13.
The Rams start region play this week against Grovetown (3-1). Grayson is by far the best team in Region 4 AAAAAA and they are the only ranked team in the region. I expect them to finish the season undefeated.
#2 Buford: The Wolves (4-0) just beat #4 Douglas County 34-26. This game featured at least 25 players with Power 4 offers. Florida State coach Mike Norvell and Georgia State coach Dell McGee attended this top five showdown.
The Wolves started the season with a 20-13 win over Milton. They followed that up by beating Benedictine on the road, 42-14. They destroyed Roswell 65-21 in Week 3. They begin region play this week against Discovery (0-3). Buford does not face any other ranked teams in Region 8AAAAAA.
#3 Carrolton: The Trojans (5-0) lost the 2024 state championship to Grayson. Five-star quarterback Julian Lewis graduated and he plays for Colorado now. Carrolton is showing they are an elite program and they were not just successful because of Lewis.
The only game that was decided by one score was the Week 3 win at Rome, 28-21. In the other four games, the closest margin of victory has been 22 points.
They are in Region 2AAAAAA with #4 Douglas County. They will play in the season finale. Region play will start 10/3 at Westlake. I think the winner of the last game will be the region champs.
#4 Douglas County: The Tigers (3-2) have a lot of talent but they have played a tough schedule. They lost to the #2 team in 5A on the road, Hughes 44-31. They lost to #2 Buford on the road the following week, 34-26.
They started the season with wins over #6 North Gwinnett, Jonesboro and Newton.
Their next game is against 2A Columbia (0-4), so they should blow them out. Like I said above, their next challenge will be in the season finale against #3 Carrolton.
#5 Valdosta: The Wildcats (5-0) are looking to win their first state title since 2016. The only close game they have played was against Jesuit (FL) 21-14. They have beaten Tucker 63-19, Mundy’s Mill 60-14, Dougherty 52-3 and South Gwinnett 41-3.
They are in the toughest region in the state, Region 1AAAAAA. They have a bye this week and start region play 9/26 at #10 Camden County. The following game is at #9 Colquitt County and the season finale is against #8 Lowndes. If you are keeping track, that’s four top 10 teams in the state in the same region.
I don’t think Valdosta will make it out of region play unscathed.
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