But coming out of the locker room and onto the field at the Georgia Dome for that second half, it was apparent the Tigers had no intention of going down without a fight. Tucker outplayed the Wildcats over the final two quarters, yet ultimately fell short in a 17-7 defeat.
Tigers senior running back Chris Broadwater kept a stout Valdosta defense on its heels in the second half, rushing for 74 of his team-high 109 yards and the lone Tucker touchdown. Senior quarterback Xavier Shephard was 9-of-19 for 105 yards, but completed some key passes to move the chains as the Tigers tried to stay in the game late.
Tucker (13-2) finishes the season as the state runner-up for the second time in the past four years. The Tigers captured the AAAA state championship in 2008 and 2011.