Valwood Valiants (11-2) vs. Deerfield-Windsor Knights (11-2)
Saturday, November 28, 2015
7:30 p.m.
Venue
Mercer University Stadium
Macon, Ga.
Regular Season Stats:
Valwood: 29.6 points per game; 17.7 points allowed per game
Deerfield-Windsor: 36.3 points per game; 16.7 points allowed per game
Playoff Stats:
Valwood: 27.3 points per game; 12.7 points allowed per game
Deerfield-Windsor: 44.0 points per game; 11.0 points allowed per game
The Valwood Valiants are only one game away from their ultimate goal; on Saturday, the team will face off against the Deerfield-Windsor Knights (Albany, Ga.), with the winner being crowned the 2015 GISA Class AAA State Champions.
After a come-from-behind win over the two-time defending Class AAA State Champion Westfield Hornets (Perry, Ga.), the Valiants have earned the right to travel to Mercer University (Macon, Ga.) for the title game. Throughout the game, Valwood found themselves in double-digit holes on multiple occasions; however, their “relentless” mantra proved to be too much for the Hornets last Friday.
Leading the way for the Valiants was senior receiver Chris Retterbush. He finished the night with five receptions totaling 163 yards. Averaging 32.6 yards per catch, he also added three touchdowns to his stat line, including a 36-yard score on a pass from senior quarterback Jake Parker that would put Valwood ahead for good.
Deerfield-Windsor comes into the contest after a 42-7 blowout of the John Milledge Academy Trojans (Milledgeville, Ga.). Saturday’s matchup will be a rematch for the two; the teams first met on October 30, with the Knights taking the region title in a 34-7 victory. A Valwood victory would be the ideal redemption; the regular season loss to the Knights snapped a six-game win streak as well.
Since head coach Ashley Henderson arrived at Valwood in 2012, the Valiants have split their two meetings with the Knights. In 2014, Valwood claimed a 31-13 victory at home in their regular season finale.
This will be the third GISA Championship Game for the Valiants since 2012 and marks their return to Macon after falling in the Class AAA Quarterfinals to John Milledge Academy in 2014. In Coach Henderson’s first season with the team, Valwood captured the Class AA Championship with a 48-13 blowout of Westwood School (Camilla, Ga.).
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In the Game/Web-Only Content
Game Preview
Valwood Seeks Redemption in the State Championship
By James Washington
