Tucker’s (l-r) Chris Broadwater, Eugene Brown, Aaron Sterling and Coach Bryan Lamar accept the Class 6A runners-up trophy. (Photo by Mark Brock)

The No. 1 ranked Valdosta Wildcats scored on their first two possessions of the game and held off the No. 4 ranked Tucker Tigers 17-7 to win the Class 6A football state title at the Georgia Dome on Friday night.

The Tigers (13-2) were playing in their fourth state championship game since the 2008 season and looking for their third victory, but could not get going in the first half gaining just two first downs against the Wildcats in the first quarter.

A three-and-out by the Tigers to start the game gave Valdosta its first possession in which the Wildcats would drive 79 yards in eight plays to get on the scoreboard.

Tucker had forced a third and nine at their own 35 when Valdosta quarterback Josh Belton dropped back and threw to the corner of the end zone for D. Morris who hauled in the pass for the touchdown. Davis Baldwin added the PAT for a 7-0 Valdosta lead with 7:32 to play in the first quarter.

The Tigers managed a first down on their next possession but were forced to punt and Jayce Rogers returned the punt 46 yards to the Tucker 29 to set up the final Valdosta touchdown of the game.

Tucker’s Chris Broadwater scored on an 8-yard run to get the Tigers on the scoreboard in the third quarter. (Photo by Mark Brock)

The Wildcats were in a third and nine at the Tucker 17 when Belton found Joseph Ingram in the back of the end zone for the score. Baldwin again tacked on the PAT for a 14-0 Wildcats’ lead with 3:02 to play in the first quarter.

Defense would be the name of the game from that point on as the Wildcats managed just a 44-yard field goal by Baldwin as the half ended to take a 17-0.

Valdosta opened the second half with possession, but the Tiger defense, which allowed just 85 yards of offense in the second half, forced a punt as Brian Strozier sniffed out a screen pass to put the Wildcats in a fourth and 17.

Tucker opened with a 20-yard pass from Xavier Shephard to Josh Vann and a 12-yard run by Shephard moving the ball to the Valdosta 26. Unfortunately two plays later, Valdosta’s Jayce Rogers intercepted a pass in the end zone to end the threat.

Following a brief drive by the Wildcats, the Tigers found themselves on their own four-yard line with 5:12 to play in the third quarter. Chris Broadwater started the drive with a pair of eight-yard runs.

Shephard would scramble for 11 and then hit Vann for a 12-yard gain to the Tiger 42. A late hit on Vann moved the ball into Valdosta territory where Broadwater would take over. Broadwater had runs of 7, 29 and 8 yards to put the Tigers into the end zone. Adam Lippy’s PAT trimmed the Valdosta lead to 17-7 with 2:03 left in the third quarter.

Tucker would get the ball back after forced Valdosta to punt on the first play of the fourth quarter. Shephard and Vann hooked up for a 40-yard gain on the first play from their own 14 to get the drive rolling.

Tucker’s Josh Vann (3) avoids Valdosta defender Jayce Rogers (5). (Photo by Mark Brock)

Broadwater would gain 11 yards to the Wildcat 25, but the drive stalled as a fourth and six pass went incomplete. The Tigers would not threaten again as the Wildcat defense held two more times.

The 109 yards rushing and one touchdown in the game moved Broadwater to 1,197 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns on the season. It also gave him 2,532 yards rushing and 40 touchdowns for his career.

Josh Vann had 6 receptions for 83 yards to give him 63 receptions, 1,286 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns. His 1,286 yards receiving in the season is third best all-time in DeKalb County while his 63 receptions on the season is 6th all-time and his 13 touchdowns is tied for 7th. He now has 1,870 yards receiving for his career and needs just 434 yards in 2017 to become the DeKalb career receiving yards leader.

Adam Lippy tied the Tucker school record of 77 points set by Ricky Peacock in 2008 and is tied with Peacock for fourth in kicking points for a season in DeKalb County.