Game of the Week: Valdosta @ Lowndes

VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - This week, Titletown is home to one of the biggest high school football rivalries in the country, the Winnersville Classic.

A game that is circled on the calendar every single year and to many, a win in this game is more important than a state championship.

In Valdosta you either grow up a Viking or a Wildcat, so this is one win you have to have.

A game that Lowndes has taken each of the past four years.

Valdosta under first year man Shelton Felton will look to turn the tides and there is a lot of emotion in this one, which one of the many reasons why this game is our week six Game of the Week.

This is a series that dates back to the late 1960′s and on Friday night these two programs will meet for the 60th time.

It is a rivalry dominated by Valdosta, that is until 1997.

There have been 24 matchups since then and the Vikings have taken 17 of them.

The Cats will be looking for a marquee win on Friday night, while also looking to break their four game losing streak.

Someone will grab a lot of momentum on Friday night and both coaches know what a win would mean to this community.

”We just talk about control the controllables, we can’t control what happened in the past, we can’t control what happens in the future, all we can do is control what happens Friday, our goal, our determination is to break the streak, that’s our goal and that’s our determination to do, but we can only control what we control Friday,” said Felton. “I mean you got people calling, every time they see you in the store and different spots, it means a lot to this community and it’s a big game, if you’re not from here you still know about the Winnersville Classic and we look forward to the challenge on Friday, my first time as a coach so I look forward to the challenge of playing against Lowndes on Friday.”

“You know this is just another work day, we’re going to have to go out, it’s got a large importance in our community and for our fans, and for our seniors,” said Lowndes head coach Jamey DuBose. “Our seniors have an opportunity to take five in a row and that’s big in a rivalry series, especially when it was so one sided for so many years, so it does mean a lot for our program and it means a lot to the guys that came through here and built this program and built it to where it is so you know we’re playing for a lot of people, not just ourselves, and that’s the fun thing about rivalries and we’re excited about it.”

Kickoff from Martin Stadium is set for 8pm on Friday night.