Fort Valley State opens season with a huge win over Tuskegee

          It took awhile to get going, but once Fort Valley State got going, news wasn’t good for Tuskegee.

          A 21-point third quarter launched FVSU to a rousing 30-0 win over SIAC rival Tuskegee in the Red Tails Classic in Montgomery, Ala.

          The game didn’t count as a conference game, but breaking an eight-game losing streak to the Golden Tigers. And it was a stellar fall debut for new head coach Maurice Flowers, whose Wildacats won two games last spring.

          The group under defensive coordinator Barry Tripp recorded FVSU’s first shutout since, ironically, a 26-0 win over Tuskegee on Oct. 16, 2010, holding the Golden Tigers to 99 passing yards and only four net rushing yards, thanks in part to seven sacks.. That team featured the likes of Central Georgians Marquette King (Rutland), Tony Davis (Peach County), and Courtney Daniel (Putnam County), among others.

          Sunday’s win was boosted by area alums Undre Williams (Jones County), Jhi’Marre Brown (Perry), Nathaniel Freeney (Twiggs County), Ethan Manns (Peach County), Zaquan Baldwin (Southwest), Josh Burney (Jones County), Dieusuel St-Cyr (Westside) and BJ Sharpe (Southwest), among others.

          Williams ran for 60 yards on 12 carries and caught a pass for 11 yards. Brown caught a pass for six yards, FVSU’s first touchdown with 8:52 left in the third quarter.

          Freeney and Sharpe had two tackles each, while Manns, Baldwin, Burney, and St-Cyr had one each.

          Quarterback Tyrell Jackson was 17 of 34 for 166 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

          Two Andre Labat field goals in the second quarter gave the Wildcats a 6-0 halftime lead. Jackson connected with Shermar Bridges for a 5-yard pass nearly seven minutes after Brown’s score, for a 20-0 lead.

          Zacharius Anderson added the icing with a 60-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown with 1:13 left in the third.

          The Wildcats visit Florida A&M at 6 p.m. on Saturday.