WOODVILLE — The Wilkinson County Wildcats played for their first trip to the State 3A championship game since 1981 Friday night when the Hazlehurst Indians came to town.
The Wildcats had an answer for every punch the defending state champion Indians threw at them.
But by the fourth quarter, the Wildcats had run out of answers, and 14 late points by the Indians secured them a 36-22 victory in the South State championship game and a spot in next weekend’s 3A state championship against North State champion Louisville.
The Louisville Wildcats routed Charleston 35-0 in the North State championship game Friday night.
“We gave it our best effort; that’s all you can ask for,” Wilkinson County head coach Kenneth Brown said. “The kids played their hearts out, played a good game and at this stage of the game, if they play hard for you, that’s all you want to do.”
Hazlehurst scored three touchdowns in the first three quarters. Every time Wilkinson County responded with a touchdown of its own.
But backed up on their own 5-yard line with the game tied at 22 in the final minute of the third quarter, the Indians drove 95 yards for the eventual game-winning touchdown. Hazlehurst ate up almost six minutes of the clock and went up 30-22 on a 1-yard dive by quarterback Jarvis Warner.
For the first time all night, the Wildcats could not answer the Hazlehurst score, turning the ball over on downs on its next possession.
Hazlehurst was driving to another score and the proverbial nail in the coffin. Frustration began setting in for the Wildcats.
Teammates began fighting on the sidelines and sulking alone, all while Wilkinson County trailed by just eight points. So when the Wildcats forced a timely fumble on their own 1 yard line and returned it out to their 44, they were unable to regroup and rally for a game-tying score.
The Indians would add a late touchdown to decide the result once and for all.
“When you have to continue to fight and things don’t look like they’re going in your favor, it gets frustrating,” Brown said. “These are young kids. Frustration sets in sometimes, but we were still in the ball game.”
The Wilkinson County defense rose to the occasion against an explosive Hazlehurst offense, holding the Indians to just 22 points for most of the game.
Hazlehurst defeated the Wildcats 58-40 when the two met in Region 7-3A play during the regular season.
The Wildcats stifled the Hazlehurst rushing attack for most of the game, which threatens defenses both up the middle and to the outside. But Warner picked his spots carefully and made the Wildcat defense pay again and again.
Warner attempted just six passes all game, but completed five of them for 160 yards and a touchdown. Four of his five completions went for at least 22 yards as the Wilkinson County secondary struggled to keep up with the Indians’ speed.
The Wildcats offense failed to consistently put together drives throughout the game, relying on a stout defense and a few big plays to stay in the game.
Wildcats’ quarterback and LSU commit Devin Voorhies was under heavy pressure from the defense all night. He spent most of the game scrambling to make plays with his athleticism.
Voorhies was just 5-of-13 passing, but threw for 135 yards, a touchdown and a costly interception in the second half on an underthrown deep ball down the field that floated long enough for the Indians to make a play.
But the senior quarterback did manage to make plays with his legs, running seven times for at least 10 yards, totaling 133 yards and another touchdown.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, Hazlehurst’s defense kept Voorhies contained in the fourth quarter and the Wildcats’ struggles throwing ultimately cost them a chance at a late rally.
“They kept pressure on us for most of the game, and when (Voorhies) is on the move a lot, that kind of affects things,” Brown said. “And sometimes you tell him ‘You just got to stand up and take it and just throw the ball, make the right decision, step up and throw it.’ You can’t run from it all the time.”
Brown is optimistic the Wildcats can learn and return in 2014 for another strong run at a 3A title.
“They finished, they’re champs,” Brown said of the Indians. “They know what it takes to continue on. This is our first go at it. The kids kind of lost it at the end, but other than that it was a good game and well-fought. That’s all you can ask for.”
