Fort Valley State University

Skyler Thornton rushed for a season high 113 yards and two touchdowns while the Fort Valley defense picked off three passes to lead the Fort Valley State University Wildcats to a 33-30 win over the Dragons of Lane College on Oct. 4. The Wildcats improve to 2-4 on the season and 2-2 in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play while the Dragons fall to 1-5 overall and 1-3 in the conference.

Thornton scored on runs of 44 and 4 yards and also caught three passes for an additional 18 yards. Wildcat quarterback Garrett Williams eclipsed the 200-yard mark for the second consecutive week by completing 17 of 27 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown with an interception. Fort Valley’s defense came up with the big plays when it had to, including a blocked extra point in the fourth quarter that gave the Wildcats some much needed breathing room in the fourth quarter. Trenton Newton led the Wildcats with nine tackles (three solos), a tackle for loss and an interception. Defensive back Steven Jackson picked off a pass for the second consecutive week to bring his total to four in the past two games.

Lane College was led by quarterback Ellis Sherard who threw for one touchdown and rushed for three others. Ellis completed 18 of 31 passes for 150 yards and gained an additional 70 yards on the ground.

Fort Valley never trailed in the contest, but Lane managed to keep the game close by taking advantage of some Wildcat miscues and a roughing the kicker call. That penalty kept a drive alive for Lane that allowed the Dragons to tie the score at 14-14 in the second quarter. The game was tied 17-17 at halftime.

The Wildcats will be on the road again next week (Oct. 11) when they travel to Frankfort, Ky., to play the Throrobreds of Kentucky State University. Kickoff time for the game is slated for 1:30 p.m.