By Jim O'Hara
 
VALDOSTA, Ga. – Facing arguably the hottest team in the Gulf South Conference, the Shorter Hawks were determined to slow a high-powered Valdosta State squad that had rolled up the points and the yards in the past two weeks.

In the overall scheme of things, they did just that. In the final outcome, however, it was not enough as Valdosta won their third straight game by handing the Hawks their third GSC loss in a row as the Blazers emerged with a 37-6 GSC win Saturday afternoon at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.

The setback gives the Hawks a 3-4 overall record and a 1-3 conference slate heading into Shorter's Homecoming game next Saturday when the Hawks host Florida Tech in another Gulf South showdown.

Shorter managed to get its offense back on track finishing the game with 308 total yards, but could not get the ball into the end zone, having to settle for a pair of field goals by senior kicker Kenny Langford.

Senior quarterback Eric Dodson led the Hawks rushing for 84 yards while completing 4 of 12 passes for 78 yards.

The Blazers (5-2, 3-2), who entered the game having averaged more 550 yards a game in their previous two outings, wound up compiling 418 yards with quarterback Jake Medlock leading the charge as the senior completed 18 of 26 passes for 199 yards and had four touchdown passes to four different receivers.

In addition to the four TD tosses, VSU got three field goals from Anthony Pistelli.

The Hawks started the game off on the right foot – literally – of kicker Kenny Langford who, after Shorter drove the ball to the VSU 25 on the first series of the afternoon, split the uprights from a career-long 46-yards out to give his team the early 3-0 lead.

Valdosta answered on their next series when Pistelli connected on a 33-yard field goal that deadlocked the game at 3-3 and closed out the first quarter scoring.

Shorter appeared as if it was poised to break the tie in the opening minutes of the second period when they put together a 68-yard march with a 30-yard from Dodson to Bruce Clark giving the Hawks the ball at the VSU 15. But the drive stalled and on a 30-yard field goal attempt by Langford the Blazers broke through the middle and blocked the try.
That gave the home team the momentum as Valdosta promptly drove the ball 69 yards yards the other way and took the lead when Medlock hit Russell King with a 10-yard scoring pass and after Pistelli added the extra point, the Blazers had a 10-3 lead with 6:20 to go in the half.

Valdosta, however, had one more drive up their sleeves, this time coming in the final two minutes of the first half when they used eight plays to cover 71 yards and score when Medlock and Shane Henderson teamed up to extend the Blazers' lead to 17-3 with 24 seconds to go until the break.

The second opened in the home team's favor when the Blazers added to their lead on the third play of the third quarter when Medlock found Donovan Bolden open on a deep post pattern for a 54-yard touchdown pass and after recovering a Shorter fumble on the second snap of the Hawks' ensuing possession made it 27-3 when Pistelli hit a 40-yard FG with 11:55 left in the period.

The Hawks got back on track the next time they touched the ball, this time covering 67 yards in 10 plays before settling for another field goal by Langford from 29 yards out.

Valdosta was back in business after the Blazers thwarted an on-sides kick by the Hawks and after starting at the SU 43 put seven more points on the scoreboard when Medlock was on starget for another passing TD, this time hitting Shane Henderson with a 4-yard touchdown strike to make it 34-6.

In the final seconds of the third stanza VSU added three more points when Pistelli kicked a 42-yard adding to VSU's lead and closed out the scoring.