The George County Rebels headed into Friday night’s first-round playoff game at West Jones knowing they had not won a postseason contest since 2007.
The Rebels got that monkey off their back with an impressive 26-22 road win over the defending 6A state champion Mustangs.
The Rebels improve to 7-5 on the season and travel to Picayune next week for a rematch against the Maroon Tide. Picayune defeated George County 27-20 in the regular season just two weeks ago.
West Jones ends its season at 8-3 and failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
George County won the toss and took the football, but Brenn Moody’s fumble gave the Mustangs great field position at the Rebels 37-yard line. The Rebels defense limited the damage, allowing a 35-yard field goal by Alexis Avaloas as the Mustangs took an early 3-0 lead.
After a Rebels punt, the Mustangs put together their best drive of the first half, capped by a 10-yard TD run by Tootie Lindsey, and with 8:21 to go in the second quarter, the Mustangs were up 10-0.
George County responded with its best drive of the first half, capped by an 11-yard run by Deuce Knight to cut the lead to 10-7 with 3:50 to go before halftime.
The remainder of the half saw some shaky special teams play by both squads.
West Jones punter Rylan Newcomb saved disaster for the Mustangs, running down an errant snap and flipping the field with a 40-yard punt.
The Rebels, after a penalty, were then backed up with Landon Williams setting up to punt from his end zone. Williams took the snap and ran out of the back of the end zone for a safety. The teams headed to halftime with the Mustangs leading 12-7.
West Jones took the second-half kickoff, but Kohl Bradley recovered a Mustangs fumble, giving the Rebels great field position in West Jones territory.
Knight added his second rushing touchdown of the game with a 3-yard run on fourth-and-goal, and the Rebels took a 13-12 lead after a failed two-point conversion attempt.
West Jones, behind the running of Elijah Jones Crosby and Lindsey, took five minutes off the clock but was forced into another field-goal attempt.
Avaloas connected from 38 yards and West Jones was back on top 15-13.
The Rebels answered with 34 seconds left in the third quarter as Knight hit DJ McNair on a 60-yard touchdown strike, and after the extra point was blocked, the game headed to the fourth quarter with the Rebels leading 19-15.
West Jones put together its best drive of the second half and Jones Crosby capped it with a 4-yard touchdown run as the Mustangs went up 22-19.
Both defenses settled in on the next couple of possessions as the Mustangs intercepted Knight but were stopped on downs by the Rebels, giving George County possession with under three minutes remaining in the game.
On third-and-10, Knight hit McNair again and the junior raced 55 yards down the sideline for the game-winning touchdown before Layton Fryfogle’s made it 26-22 for George County with 2:10 left in the game.
The Rebels defense sealed the deal as Williams sacked Lindsey on first down and the Rebels got to Lindsey on the next two downs as well, forcing fourth-and-18.
Lindsey completed a pass to Kross Smith, but the Rebels secondary made a tackle 1 yard short of the line to gain and George County took over and ran out the clock.
Knight completed 13-of-23 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 14 times for 54 yards and two TDs. He threw one interception.
George County’s Branden Gautier rushed for 75 yards on 13 carries.
McNair had a huge night, catching six passes for 168 yards and two TDs.
Moody added six receptions for 51 yards.
Jones Crosby had 118 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown for the Mustangs.
Lindsey completed 6-of-12 passes for 91 yards and rushed for 47 yards and a TD.
