We are counting down the days until the 2025 Winnersville Classic, the high school football rivalry between Valdosta and Lowndes.
In anticipation of this annual game that is part of the Great American Rivalry Series, ITG Next thought it would be good to take a look back at the history of the game and size up the two teams with a statistical comparison between them.
We’ll take a look at the overall win totals for each team in the series, home-field advantage, key position comparisons, and a few other points of interest about the rivalry, from the first game between the two schools right up until this year’s matchup on Oct. 31.
Let’s start with the venues each team calls home.
The Stadiums
Martin Stadium
- Aka The Concrete Palace
- Home to the Lowndes Vikings
- Capacity: approximately 12,000
Bazemore-Hyder Stadium
- Aka Death Valley
- Home to the Valdosta Wildcats
- Capacity: approximately 11,000
Advantage: Even
Valdosta vs. Lowndes: The History
While Valdosta High School has been playing football since 1913, Lowndes first fielded a football program in 1968. That season marked the first ever meeting of the two teams.
With Valdosta having a 55-year head start, the Wildcats not only won that first game versus Lowndes, but the first decade of meetings between the two teams was all Valdosta.
That all changed in 1977. It was the second year of Lowndes head coach Joe Wilson, a former Valdosta assistant coach who had left the Wildcats to take the Lowndes job in 1976. Wilson led Lowndes to a 7-2 win in the game, a monumental moment for the Vikings’ program that became known as, “7-2 We Beat Belue.” That would be, of course, legendary Valdosta quarterback Buck Belue.
The Winnersville Classic Is Born
While the two teams have been playing since 1968, the game only became known as The Winnersville Classic in 1981.
In the late 1970s, Mike Chason, a Valdosta Daily Times sports writer, wrote an article about the success of the local teams, including Valdosta High School and Lowndes High School, as well as Valdosta State University’s football team. He used the term Winnersville to describe Valdosta.
In 1981, following a state championship won by Lowndes in 1980, local businessman Johnny B. Lastinger acknowledged the longtime success of the Wildcats and the recent state title by the rival Lowndes Vikings. During a local Chamber of Commerce meeting with fans of both teams in attendance, he proposed a show of unity and said the community would celebrate the upcoming Valdosta-Lowndes game that year by describing the annual meeting as The Winnersville Classic.
The name stuck, and the game took on a whole new identity beginning with the 1981 contest between the two teams.
Overall Record Between Valdosta and Lowndes
According to the Great American Rivalry Series, which showcases the best high school football rivalries around the country, Valdosta has won 39 games, while Lowndes has won 24 in the overall series as the two teams head into this year’s matchup.
A Look at the Past 10 Years (2015-2024)
Although Valdosta leads the overall series, Lowndes has had the upper hand over the past decade with a 6-4 record.
Valdosta Wins Over Last 10 Years:
- 2015
- 2016
- 2022
- 2023
Lowndes Wins Over Last 10 years:
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2024
Who Has Home-Field Advantage?
Overall, Lowndes is 15-18 versus Valdosta at home, and Valdosta is 21-9 versus Lowndes at home.
Over the last 10 years, Lowndes has won 4-of-6 home games versus Valdosta, and Valdosta has won 2-of-4 home games versus Lowndes.
Players to Watch: Who Has the Edge at Each Position?
Quarterback
Valdosta’s Tyriek Wade vs. Lowndes’ Jayce Johnson
Pick: Jayce Johnson, Lowndes
Running Backs
Valdosta’s Deron Foster and Marquis Fennell vs. Lowndes’ Mason Woods
Pick: Deron Foster and Marquis Fennell, Valdosta
Wide Receivers
Valdosta’s Prince Jean vs. Lowndes’ Ar’Tavian Brown and Kaveon Thomas
Pick: Even
Defensive Backs
Valdosta’s Jalon Copeland vs. Lowndes’ Anthony Martin
Pick: Jalon Copeland, Valdosta
Offensive Line
Pick: Lowndes
Defensive Line
Pick: Valdosta
2025 Season Comparison Through 9 Games
Lowndes
- Overall Record: 9-0
- Region Record: 4-0
- Points Scored: 366
- Points Allowed: 91
- Opponents’ Winning %: .694
Valdosta
- Overall Record:8-1
- Region Record: 3-1
- Points Scored: 406
- Points Allowed: 125
- Opponents’ Winning %: .566
2025 Winnersville Classic: When and Where
Location: Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, Valdosta, Georgia
Date: Oct. 31, 2025
Time: 8:00 p.m.
It’s going to be wicked fun.
