Pass Christian clinched a Class 4A South State playoff berth under first-year head coach Jeff Stockstill with a big 41-12 win over visiting Moss Point in Rgion 8-4A play at McDonald Stadium Friday night.
The win pushes the Pirates to 2-1 in the region race, and PCHS stands 6-2 overall. The Tigers, also under a new head coach in John Feaster, fall to 1-7 overall and 0-3 in the league.
Pass Christian junior standout tailback Jacquez Alexander-Dedeaux not only led the Pirates to the win with a trio of touchdown runs but he also picked up 230 yards rushing in the contest and eclipsed the magical 1,000-yard rushing mark on the season with his impressive performance in the win.
Anthony James scored on a 19-yard run for PCHS, and Pirates quarterback Ladd Scriber hit senior All-Star Terry Patton with a 19-yard scoring strike as well.
Moss Point Taborious Charles took off on an 80-yard scoring scamper on the Tigers’ first play from scrimmage to give MPHS a short-lived lead. But The Pirates quickly went to work on erasing that deficit and eventually led 31-12 at halftime. Scriber completed 13 passes for 197 yards and the touchdown to Patton.
Pascagoula 40, Long Beach 33
The visiting Panthers overcame a 14-6 first half deficit to pull out a key win in Region 4-6A action Friday night at Lance Lumpkin Stadium.
Amari Jackson, Cameron DeFlanders and Silas Corder each accounted for a pair of touchdowns apiece for the Panthers, who moved to 5-2 overall but more importantly 1-1 in league play. The Bearcats dropped to 2-5 overall and 0-2 in the region race.
Jackson’s second scoring run of the game came from 8-yards out with 5:17 left in the game and the Panthers trailing 33-32, and proved to be the winning points. DeFlanders then added a two-point scoring run to result in the final score.
Jackson also had a 7-yard scoring run in the first half, as did DeFlanders from 4-yards out. Corder also had a 3-yard run to open the scoring for PHS in the first frame.
Corder hit Brian Barnes with a 9-yard touchdown toss in the third period, and DeFlanders then added a 31-yard scoring run as well to make put the Panthers up 32-21 with 5:08 left to play in the third quarter.
The loss overshadowed a huge game by Long Beach running back Ronnie Brown, Jr., as he rushed for over 150 yards and three scores including a 50-yard scoring scamper that gave the Bearcats an early 7-0 advantage.
Long Beach also got a 32-yard touchdown pass from Will Brady to Andrew Windham, and Taj Aubert scored on a 2-yard jaunt with one minute left in the first frame to put LBHS up 14-6 at that point. — (Info provided by Daniel Tewell)
Vancleave 27, Stone 23
The homestanding Bulldogs snapped a five game losing streak and captured a big Region 4-5A win by slipping past the Tomcats Friday night.
Vancleave quarterback Hunter Parker accounted for two touchdowns, including a 2-yard keeper with nine minutes to play that turned out to be the winning points. He also threw a 50-yard scoring strike to Layton Eder in the first half that tied the game up at 20-20 heading into halftime.
Bulldog senior tailback Derik Forehand ran for a game-high 169 yards including a 26-yard scoring scramble in the first frame that tied the game up at 7-7. Hunter Harper also had a short scoring run for VHS in the win, as the Bulldogs move to 2-5 overall and 1-1 in the region play. Stone stands 0-2 in league play and 2-5 overall as well.
It was the first win for Vancleave since a season-opening win over still-winless St. Martin.
Gautier 49, Wayne County 33
The Gators went on the road and moved to 4-3 overall on the year and 2-0 in Region 4-5A with their first ever win over the War Eagles in Waynesboro.
Gautier’s Solomon Baggett cut loose on a 76-yard scoring scamper mid-way through the third frame to put GHS in command at 49-21 at that point before WCHS rallied with two scores late to make the final count seem more respectable.
Gautier jumped out to a quick 20-0 lead and led 42-14 at halftime, as quarterback Trey Irving threw touchdown passes to Kelvin Beavers from 65-yards out and to Chris McCann from 21 yards out. Also in the first half, Gautier got a 30-yard scoring scamper from Irving and Irving also found Kainen Rush wide open behind the WCHS secondary for a 37-yard scoring strike. Beavers then returned a kickoff for 85 yards for a touchdown, and after Fred Nicholson blocked a punt for GHS C.J. Mccreary ran the ball it in from 8 yards out to make it 42-14 entering the second half. Irving completed 12 passes for 232 yards and the three touchdowns in the winning effort, while Baggett rushed for 185 yards and that touchdown and Beavers also registered 113 yards in receptions and the one scoring catch.
Biloxi 24, St. Martin 14
The home-standing Indians earned their first-ever Region 4-7A win while at the same time keeping the Yellow Jackets winless Friday night at the Biloxi Sports Complex.
Indian senior signal-caller Zach Marlin threw for one score and William Lai rushed for 113 yards in the winning effort, as BHS moved to 4-4 overall and 1-1 in league play.
Noreel White rushed for a game-high 173 yards and a touchdown for SMHS, which dropped to 0-7 overall and 0-2 in the region race.
Other scores of note:
Greene County 42, Bay High 35
Laurel 48, East Central 35
Terry 42, Pearl River Central 8
Poplarville 45, Tylertown 12
