Blocked punt returned for score in the second quarter puts Wildcats ahead for good to secure historic win.
Video: Top 10 Games of the WeekRivals Valdosta and Lowndes hook up in Georgia for potentially historic game.Storied
Valdosta (Ga.) became the first high school football team to win 900 games Friday night by beating rival Lowndes 38-13.
The Wildcats trailed early but big plays by linebacker
James Bushware and quarterback
Josh Belton in the second quarter gave them an 18-7 lead they would hold and extend in the second half.
Bushware, a 6-foot, 190-pound senior blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown to give Valdosta an 11-7 lead.
Belton, a 6-1, 205-pound senior, pushed the advantage to 18-7 with a 40-yard TD run shortly before halftime.
Taking into account the college and pro levels, only the University of Michigan has more wins with 915. The Chicago Bears lead NFL teams with 741.
File photo by Gary McCullough
is No. 2 on the list of all-time high school winners with 876.
The historic night was made even sweeter for Valdosta with a win over Lowndes. That rivalry dates to 1968 and while the Wildcats have a significant edge in the series, Lowndes has emerged as a state and national power in recent years.
Valdosta began playing football in 1913 and has won 23 state and six national titles. Between 1951 and 1971 under legendary head coach Wright Bazemore, the Wildcats won 13 state titles and were recognized as national champs in 1962, 1969 and 1971.
The 1971 Valdosta team is considered one of the greatest in high school football history. That squad scored 62 points in the state championship game and averaged nearly 50 per game on the season in a far different era on the gridiron.
