Middleton, Fla — With the final seconds ticking away to bring another thrilling chapter in The Villages-Wildwood rivalry to a close, all Richard Pettus could do was smile.

The 21st-year head coach of The Villages High School football team leaned into the celebration just as his physical Buffalo laid into its Sumter County foe throughout four grueling quarters, as VHS enjoyed a 17-16 victory over the Wildcats on Friday night from The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium.

Buffalo junior Maleek Williams rushed 35 times for a career-high 154 yards and a touchdown — while adding two interceptions and a forced fumble defensively — and the VHS (3-5) defense kept a high-flying Wildwood (2-6) offense in check to earn bragging rights in the matchup pitting two programs separated by just eight miles.

"I'm just really proud of our kids because they found a way to win," said Pettus, who has now won 10 of the 17 all-time matchups between the two teams. "It wasn't pretty, but that's OK — it's not always going to be — and they had to fight hard to earn it."

Wildwood got the matchup it was looking for en route to the night's first points, as Alan Means hit talented receiver Lorenza Simmons behind the Buffalo secondary for a 46-yard touchdown and an 8-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

After two promising drives combined for 20 plays but no points, the Buffalo finally got on the board with 3:27 left in the first half to cut the deficit to 8-7. VHS rumbled 62 yards over 11 snaps, capping the scoring drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by Williams.

A missed VHS field goal at the end of the half by Bradee Powell kept the Wildcats ahead by a point at the break, before Powell made good on a 31-yard attempt with 6:28 to play in the third quarter — giving the Buffalo a 10-8 lead.

The VHS defense then got into the action, as the unit recorded its first defensive touchdown of the season with just over 10 minutes to play. Williams, who recorded an interception in each of the second and third quarters, forced a fumble on a quick Wildwood pass to tailback Ondre Ryan, with Connor Cook scooping and scoring from 8 yards out for a 17-8 advantage.

"We just played our hearts out on defense all night long," Pettus said. "Our kids never give up and even though we faced some adversity tonight, we were able to overcome it and make the plays that we needed to make."

The Wildcats roared back on the ensuing possession, needing less than two minutes for Means to find Simmons behind the Buffalo defense again for a 42-yard touchdown to make it 17-16 with 8:50 left.

Wildwood had two more opportunities to jump in front but the VHS defense stood tall on each, forcing a punt and then a turnover on downs with 3:07 remaining.

Jonathan Harding, a former Wildcat who transferred to The Villages over the offseason, sealed the deal against his old team with four carries out of a direct-snap look — the last of which converted a fourth-and-short to start the Buffalo celebration. He also finished with a team-high six receptions for 41 yards.

"It was just a beautiful team win," said Williams. "It probably shouldn't have been as much of a dogfight as it was, because we made a lot of mistakes. But we bounced back from them and we came out with a hard-fought victory."

Williams' 154-yard performance comes after rushing for 142 yards in a 17-8 district win over Mount Dora a week ago, which followed up a pair of 90-yard outings in the two previous games. The win also gave VHS back-to-back victories for the first time since September of last year.

"(Williams) is not only a great leader for us, he's a warrior for us," Pettus said. "He's playing so hard on both sides of the ball."

VHS will now look ahead to its final Class 2S-District 10 matchup of the season at 7 p.m. next Friday, when the Buffalo host Umatilla on Senior Night from The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium.


GAME SUMMARY
The Villages 17, Wildwood 16
First Quarter
WW: Lorenza Simmons 46 pass from Alan Means (Means run), 2:49
Second Quarter
VHS: Maleek Williams 3 run (Bradee Powell kick), 3:27
Third Quarter
VHS: Powell 31 kick, 6:28
Fourth Quarter
VHS: Connor Cook 8 fumble return (Powell kick), 10:21
WW: Simmons 42 pass from Means (Poyser pass from Means), 8:50



Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment at cody.hills@tvcs.org or by calling (352) 259-6890.