[Ira]

ATHENS 26, VALDOSTA 26
Date: Dec. 13, 1969
Site: Valdosta
Coaches: Wright Bazemore (Valdosta) and Weyman Sellers (Athens)

SCORING
Valdosta - 6-7-7-6--26
Athens - 6-6-6-8--26

FIRST QUARTER
Athens - Benny Edmonds 43 yd run (pass for PAT failed)
Valdosta - Jones 63 yd pass from Golden (kick failed)
SECOND QUARTER
Valdosta - Golden 14 yd run (Danny O'Neal kick)
Athens - Andy Johnson 68 yd run (kick failed)
THIRD QUARTER
Valdosta - O'Neal 1 yd run (O'Neal kick)
Athens - Johnson 7 yd run (pass for PAT failed)
FOURTH QUARTER
Valdosta - O'Neal 5 yd run (kick failed-hit goal post)
Athens - Rand Lambert 29 yd pass from Johnson (Johnson pass to Gary Sellars)

GAME SUMMARY
Valdosta's Wildcats led by 8 points late in the game, only to see the Andy Johnson led Athens Trojans tie the game with 25 seconds left in regulation.
Athens struck first going 81 yards in just 5 plays on Benny Edmonds 43 yard touchdown scamper. Athens' Johnson attempted 2 passes for PAT's, but both failed and the score was 6-0 in favor of Athens.
Valdosta answered with a touchdown of it's own with Golden passing to Jones for 63 yards. The PAT failed and the score was 6-6.
In the second quarter Valdosta scored again going 84 yards in 11 plays culminating with a 14 yard run by Golden. The PAT was good and the score was 13-6.
On the final play of the half, Athens scored with no time on the clock thanks to a penalty accessed against the Cats. It was Andy Johnson that scored this time on a 68 yard run.
To start the third period, Valdosta wasted no time going 60 yards in 9 plays capped off by a 1 yard run by O'Neal. After the PAT, the score was 20-12 in favor of Valdosta.
Athens bounced back on a 7 yard run by Andy Johnson. The drive covered 64 yards in 9 plays. Johnson's pass attempt for the PAT missed and the score was 20-18 Valdosta.
The fourth period began with Valdosta driving to the Athens 1 yard line. Unfortunately, the Cats fumbled and the Trojans came up with the ball.
Athens would fumble it right back though and Valdosta took only two plays to go 11 yards with O'Neal scoring from 5 yards out. The PAT was no good.
The game tying score came when Athens' Andy Johnson tossed a 29 yard pass to Rand Lambert and then followed that up with a pass to Gary Sellars for the 2 point conversion to tie the game 26-26.

Valdosta finished with 20 first downs, 266 yards rushing and 106 yards passing and Athens ended up with 13 first downs, 206 yards rushing and 156 yards passing.

NORTH SPRINGS 28, GAINESVILLE 21
Date: Dec. 13, 1969
Site: Thermopylae Stadium (North Springs)
Coaches: Leonard Jones (North Springs) and Bobby Gruhn (Gainesville)

SCORING
?

GAME SUMMARY
North Springs got two Jimmy Gregory touchdowns within two minutes late in the fourth to come from behind. Gainesville scored early in the fourth to break a 14-14 tie. Gregory had four touchdowns in the game.

COOSA 28, FITZGERALD 8
Date: Dec. 13, 1969
Site: Coosa's Eagle Stadium, Rome
Coaches: Branch Bragg (Coosa) and Jesse Dyess (Fitzgerald)

SCORING
Fitzgerald 8-0-0-0--8
Coosa 0-6-0-22--28

First quarter
Fitzgerald -- Thelman Woodall 1 run (Larry Barber pass from Eddie Luke), 5:43
Second quarter
Coosa -- James Blanton 1 run (failed, not sure if kick or run), 1:56
Fourth quarter
Coosa -- Gary Graves 3 run (Johnny Weeks pass from Wayne Boyd)
Coosa -- Sam Chapman xx interception (David Bishop kick)
Coosa -- Graves 4 run (Bishop kick)

GAME SUMMARY
Trailing 8-6 after three quarters, Coosa scored three touchdowns in the fourth to break it open, two by QB Gary Graves. Coosa took a 14-8 lead early in the fourth on a 69-yard drive on 13 running plays. Wayne Boyd then returned an interception for the clinching TD and made another interception to set up Coosa's final score on a 42-yard drive on 9 plays. According to the Rome Tribune, Coosa had 190 yards rushing, 19 passing on 2-of-6 attempts. Fitzgerald had 98 yards rushing and 84 passing (6-17-3). Coosa intercepted three passes, recovered a fumble and didn't commit a turnover. Each team had 12 first downs.

VIDALIA 7, LITHONIA 6
Date: Dec. 13, 1969
Site: Vidalia
Coaches: Buck Cravey (Vidalia) and T. McFerrin (Lithonia)

SCORING
Lithonia --0-0-6-0 -- 6
Vidalia-----0-7-0-0 -- 7

Second quarter
V - Ricky Mitchell 20 run (Wendell Dixon kick)
Third quarter
L - Oscar Parks 1 fumble return (pass failed)

GAME SUMMARY
Vidalia completed an undefeated season as Ricky Mitchell scored the Indians' only touchdown on a 20-yard run and Vidalia's defense stopped Lithonia three times inside the Vidalia 15-yard line.

Vidalia's winning drive covered 72 yards. Lin Hodges gained 20 yards on an end around and another 17 on a pass from Sasser.

Lithonia cut the lead to 7-6 when, according to the Vidalia Advance newspaper, Oscar Parks ''stole the ball from Vidalia's Mitchell and stepped into the end zone.'' Lithonia went for 2 (the 2-point rule was new in 1969) but failed on a pass attempt. The Vidalia newspaper account also opined that ''Lithonia's touchdown was a freak and was questionable as to whether it should be allowed.''

Vidalia's Mike Bugg and George Raiford made big tackles earlier in the game after Lithonia had a first-and-goal at the Vidalia 4 but could gain only two yards before turning the ball over on downs.

SAVANNAH COUNTRY DAY 16, ADAIRSVILLE 0
Date: Dec. 6, 1969
Site: Rome
Coaches: Bill Saunders (Country Day) and T.M. Tucker (Adairsville)

SCORING
SCD -------0-6-7-3 -- 16
Adairsville -0-0-0-0 -- 0

Second quarter
SCD -- Scott Richardson 11 pass from Bobby Reagan (run failed), 4:57
Third quarter
SCD -- Corky Ormond 7 run (Jimmy Artley kick), 2:45
Fourth quarter
SCD -- Artley 25 FG, 5:36

GAME SUMMARY
Savannah Country Day became the first Savannah school, and first private school outside of metro Atlanta, to win a GHSA state championship with a shutout of Adairsville before only about 1,000 fans who braved a steady drizzle in freezing temparatures at Rome's Barron Stadium.

SCD's punter, Butch Goldenstar, was an unlikely hero as he averaged 43 yards on three punts in the bad wather and pinned Adairsville inside its 20 each time. Adairsville, meanwhile, averaged only 20 yards on six kicks, and it was after a 24-yard punt that SCD got the ball at the Adairsville 32 for SCD's first score. It took SCD 11 plays to go the 32 yards, but QB Bobby Reagan threw 11 yards on a fourth-and-10 to Scott Richardson, who made the catch over the middle and ran to the corner of the end zone. SCD made the PAT, but an off-sides penalty on Adairsville persuaded SCD to go for 2, and that failed.

SCD went 42 yards for its second TD, the key play a 40-yard pass from Reagan to Corky Ormond, who broke a tackle and ran the final 21 of it. Ormond later scored off-tackle from the 7, and it was 13-0.

The Rome newspaper account noted, "Time after time, [Adairsville] had receivers behind the secondary, but the wet pigskin could never find its target.''

Rome News-Tribune yardstick:

SCD ---------------- Adairs
7 -----------FD--------7
111-------Rush-----123
37 --------Pass------29
3-11-2----A-C-I-----3-15-1
1----------FmLost-----1
3-43 ------Punts------6-20
40---------PEN---------22

[Ira]

Sorry, not much information in the AJC. I even had a Sunday edition this year. The games must have gotten over too late. They wrote up the first half of the Valdosta game, then no details after that. I'll need some help on this one. By the way, I don't know what happened to my 1968 post from yesterday, just disappeared. I re-posted, but will be out of luck if others disappear as my hand-written notes have been discarded. I'm sure it was there at one time, myandle even responded to it.

[THOLCOMB]

Added the Coosa-Fitzgerald report.

The Rome paper says, "The victory closed a perfect season with an overall record of 12 victories and one loss.'' Huh?

[myandle]

Ira,

Below is the scoring summary for the 1969 title game between Valdosta and Athens.

SCORING
Valdosta - 6-7-7-6
Athens - 6-6-6-8

FIRST QUARTER
Athens - Benny Edmonds 43 yd run (pass for PAT failed)
Valdosta - Jones 43 yd pass from Golden (kick failed)
SECOND QUARTER
Valdosta - Golden 14 yd run (O'Neal kick)
Athens - Andy Johnson 68 yd run (kick failed)
THIRD QUARTER
Valdosta - O'Neal 1 yd run (O'Neal kick)
Athens - Johnson 7 yd run (pass for PAT failed)
FOURTH QUARTER
Valdosta - O'Neal 5 yd run (kick failed-hit goal post)
Athens - Rand Lambert 29 yd pass from Johnson (pass for 2 points)

GAME SUMMARY
Valdosta's Wildcats led by 8 points late in the game, only to see the Andy Johnson led Athens Trojans tie the game with 25 seconds left in regulation.
Athens struck first going 81 yards in just 5 plays on Benny Edmonds 43 yard touchdown scamper. Athens' Johnson attempted 2 passes for PAT's, but both failed and the score was 6-0 in favor of Athens.
Valdosta answered with a touchdown of it's own with Golden passing to Jones for 63 yards. The PAT failed and the score was 6-6.
In the second quarter Valdosta scored again going 84 yards in 11 plays culminating with a 14 yard run by Golden. The PAT was good and the score was 13-6.
On the final play of the half, Athens scored with no time on the clock thanks to a penalty accessed against the Cats. It was Andy Johnson that scored this time on a 68 yard run.
To start the third period, Valdosta wasted no time going 60 yards in 9 plays capped off by a 1 yard run by O'Neal. After the PAT, the score was 20-12 in favor of Valdosta.
Athens bounced back on a 7 yard run by Andy Johnson. The drive covered 64 yards in 9 plays. Johnson's pass attempt for the PAT missed and the score was 20-18 Valdosta.
The fourth period began with Valdosta driving to the Athens 1 yard line. Unfortunately, the Cats fumbled and the Trojans came up with the ball.
Athens would fumble it right back though and Valdosta took only two plays to go 11 yards with O'Neal scoring from 5 yards out. The PAT was no good.
The game tying score came when Athens' Andy Johnson tossed a 29 yard pass to Rand Lambert and then followed that up with a pass to Gary Sellars for the 2 point conversion to tie the game 26-26.

Valdosta finished with 20 first downs, 266 yards rushing and 106 yards passing and Athens ended up with 13 first downs, 206 yards rushing and 156 yards passing.

Man, what a game!!!

[FMolock]

Great jpb! I've been wanting to see this for awhile.

Just curious what was your source and was it online?

Thanks Again


FM

[myandle]

I paid a visit to the Valdosta State Library to get write-ups. The info for the 1951, 1965, 1966, 1969 and 1978 games, came from the Valdosta Daily Times.

[THOLCOMB]

Game summary and scoring summary added for Savannah Country Day-Adairsville.

[THOLCOMB]

Scoring summary and a few details added to the Vidalia-Lithonia game. No stats yet.

[Ira]

Thanks, Todd. I was curious about the details on that game since it was so close and could have had a dramatic ending. On that controversial touchdown, my guess is that the running back's forward momentum had been stopped when they stole the ball. This is another one for the list of games lost by going for two. With a whole quarter left, that was a gutsy call--unless Lithonia didn't have a reliable kicker anyway.

[THOLCOMB]

Lithonia not only went for two, but declined a short FG w/ 4th-and-goal inside the 5. I guess that reliable kickers were hard to find in those days. Before the 2-point rule in 1969, teams frequently ran or passed for just one. With the possibility of two points, perhaps the thinking was that if they could run/pass the conversion successfully 40 percent of the time, that would produce more points than a kicker who made 75 percent.

[bhodges]

added