Most people expected offensive fireworks Friday night when George County hosted Greene County, its rival to the north, at Gill-Martin Stadium in Lucedale.
The Rebels prevailed 51-36 as the two teams tied a series record set in 2017 by combining for 87 points.
The shootout consisted of two very distinct halves of football.
George County roared out of the gates, scoring two touchdowns in the first minute of the game to lead 13-0 and the Rebels built their advantage to 25-0 by the end of the first quarter.
Four touchdowns in the second quarter put the Rebels up 51-14 at the half. That 37-point margin meant that the second half would be played with a running clock.
The second half was the Wildcats’ turn for the fireworks as they scored 21 points in the half, resulting in the 51-36 final.
After George County took the game’s opening kickoff, Deuce Knight hit Brenn Moody on a 52-yard touchdown strike and 30 seconds into the contest, the Rebels were up 6-0 as the PAT was blocked.
On Greene County’s second play from scrimmage, Kohl Bradley intercepted Coby King’s pass and the Rebels were back in business.
Knight’s second pass of the game was a 33-yard touchdown toss to Montrell Dortch 51 seconds into the contest and the PAT made it 13-0.
Greene County turned the ball over on downs in the red zone on its next possession and the Rebels’ big-play offense struck again with Moody hauling in a 47-yard touchdown from Knight for a 19-0 lead.
King moved the Wildcats down the field and had a first-and-goal at the 4, but after a procedure penalty against the Wildcats, TJ Love stripped King on a sack and Blaine Greene took the loose ball 85 yards for a scoop-and-score to make it 25-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The scoring avalanche continued in the second quarter as Knight hooked up with Dortch for a 34-yard touchdown and a 32-0 lead.
King’s 1-yard scoring run capped a quick Wildcats drive and got them on the board with 7:32 to go before the half.
George County would answer with Branden Gautier scoring from 1 yard out, and when Gautier added a 5-yard touchdown scamper on the next drive, it was 44-6 Rebels.
King scored his second touchdown of the quarter from 15 yards out to make it 44-14, but it took the Rebels less than one minute to answer as Knight threw his fifth touchdown pass of the half. It resulted in Dortch’s third TD reception, this from 11 yards out.
The Rebels set a school-record with 51 points in the first half.
Greene County dominated the possessions in the second half as King hit Javon Watts with a 70-yard strike five minutes into the third quarter to make it 51-22.
George County fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and King wasted no time getting the Wildcats back into the end zone with a 30-yard run to make it 51-30 heading into the fourth quarter.
A bad snap on a punt by the Rebels gave Greene County a short field and King capped the scoring with a 1-yard run. The two-point conversion made the final score 51-36.
The two quarterbacks put up huge numbers.
Knight finished 12-of-18 for 317 yards and five touchdowns and had six carries for 51 yards, with his statistics basically all in the first half.
King did most of his damage in the second half. He finished 24-of-35 for 418 yards and one touchdown and carried 17 times for 130 yards and four touchdowns.
The Rebels had two receivers with 100-plus yards.
Moody caught five passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. He had a TD reception called back in the second half.
Dortch hauled in five passes for 108 yards and three touchdowns.
Watts led the Wildcats with four catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. Jase Mathews caught eight for 97 and had a couple of two-point conversions.
Gautier added 63 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns.
Greene, the tackling machine who made the 85-yard scoop-and-score, once again had double-digit tackles.
Greene County (1-1) will host Wayne County on Friday night while the Rebels (2-0) will welcome Biloxi to Gill-Martin Stadium.
