Jeff Moeller, sports correspondent

Off their bye week, Richmond Hill’s football team will have a stern final regular-season test when they travel to Valdosta Friday for a 8 p.m. kickoff.

In the past few weeks, the Wildcats (5-4) have tangled with the challenging part of their schedule, dropping four straight. Their last loss was a 36-15 to Lowndes Oct. 23, one of the state ranked teams on their docket. The Wildcats last win was a 35-7 decision over Wando Oct. 18.

Head coach Matt LeZotte believes his team will re-energize itself for the final stretch of the season ahead.

“The week off gave us an opportunity to get our legs back, emphasize fundamentals, and address the details that have hurt us in recent games,” said LeZotte. “We also challenged our players to take ownership of how we finish this season. I felt good about the work, but the real measure of that productivity is how it carries over to Friday night.”

They will face a Valdosta team (8-1), which suffered its first loss last week to Lowndes (32-31), who in turn won the Class 7A Region 1 title.

Valdosta has been paced by running backs Marquis Fennell and Deron Foster, one of the most dynamic backfields in the state who combined for 2,809 rushing yards and 38 rushing touchdowns last season.

Fennell, who is a Stanford commit, has rushed 814 yards with 11 touchdowns, and he also leads the team in receiving with 59 catches for 875 yards with six touchdowns. Foster has run for 1,176 yards with 1,117 with 25 touchdowns.

Valdosta quarterback Tripp Perry has thrown for 1.612 yards with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions.

LeZotte knows it will take a team defensive effort to slow Valdosta’s offense.

“With players like Fennel, Foster, and Perry, it takes all eleven doing their jobs,” stressed LeZotte. “We have to be disciplined with our assignments, tackle well in space, and get multiple defenders to the football. The challenge is making them earn their yards through consistent execution and limiting the explosive plays that can change a game quickly.”

Wildcats running back CJ Menzie ran for 97 yards against Lowndes, and he has run for 824 yards on the season. Prior to the Lowndes game, the Wildcats’ running game had some struggles.

LeZotte will look to his run game this week as a major factor.

“There were encouraging things about our run game against Lowndes, especially when we stayed on schedule and gave ourselves manageable situations,” said LeZotte. “We need to build on those stretches and become more consistent throughout all four quarters. Running the football effectively gives us a chance to control possessions and opens up what we can do offensively.”

The Wildcats will be in the post season playoffs ahead, but their focus is how to handle Valdosta Friday night. According to the GHSA state football rankings, Valdosta is the top seed, and Richmond Hill is ranked 20th.

“While we look forward to seeing where we are seeded in the playoffs, our focus is on handling what we can control: preparing well and playing our best football against Valdosta,” noted LeZotte.

“We owe our seniors and this program our best effort, and that starts with how we approach this week.”