By Stan Caldwell
stanmansportsfan.com
HATTIESBURG – Bay Springs used its defense and special teams to blank McEvans 22-0 Friday afternoon in the Class 1A State Championship Game at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Gridiron Classic at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
The Bulldogs (14-1) scored a repeat as 1A champions after winning last season with a similarly dominant victory over Simmons. McEvans finished 13-2 in its state finals debut.
Bay Springs got all the points it would need before it ever took an offensive snap, when sophomore Malaki Page scooped up a blocked punt on the Warriors’ opening possession of the game and scored on a 4-yard return.
An interception and a 28-yard return by Bulldog senior Anthony Newell on McEvans’ next possession set the Bulldogs up at the Warrior 40-yard line, and they needed just five plays to score, on a 5-yard run by senior Tyrick Jones.
Newell passed to junior Jaylen Gammage for the conversion and a 14-0 lead.
The Bulldogs took that lead into the halftime locker room after a goal-line stand late in the second quarter.
McEvans drove from the Bay Springs 44 to a first-and-goal. But on fourth down, Warrior senior Omarion Blakes was stopped a yard short of the goal line.
Bay Springs took the opening kickoff of the second half 68 yards on nine plays and used up nearly half of the third-quarter clock, with Jones scoring on a 19-yard scamper. Jones capped his career for the Bulldogs with 131 yards on 16 carries.
McEvans had one last chance to score in the fourth quarter, driving to the Bay Springs 20, but De’marian Jones intercepted a pass for the Bulldogs at the 1-yard-line.
Bay Springs held McEvans to 149 yards of offense, including a net of 45 yards rushing.
GAME SUMMARY
Class 1A State Championship
Friday at Hattiesburg
Bay Springs 22, McEvans 0
Bay Springs 14 0 8 0 – 22
McEvans 0 0 0 0 – 0
First Quarter
BS – Malaki Page 4 blocked punt return (Run failed), 7:16.
BS – Tyrick Jones 5 run (Anthony Newell pass to Jaylen Gammage), 2:43. (5 plays/40 yards/1{41 possession).
Third Quarter
BS – T. Jones 19 run (Newell run), 6:49 (9/68/5:11).
TEAM STATISTICS
BS M
First downs 15 10
Total net yards 270 149
Rushes-yards 46-270 22-45
Passing yards 0 104
Comp-Att-Int 0-2-0 13-24-2
Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-0
Penalties-yards 10-77 9-61
Punts-total (avg.) 1-35 (35.0) 3-73 (24.3)
Sacks 0-0 0-0
Third down 5-7 1-10
Fourth down 0-1 2-5
Time of possession 24:40 23:20
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Bay Springs – Tyrick Jones 16-131, Malaki Page 11-70, Anthony Ross 16-61, kvin Keyes 1-11, Team 2-(-3); McEvans – Brenton Hall 6-25, Omarion Blakes 8-25, Brandon Hall 1-2Christopher Watkins 6-2, Jalen Smith 1-(-9).
Passing
Bay Springs– Anthony Newell 0-2-0-0; McEvans – Christopher Watkins 10-17-2, Omarion Blakes 3-7-0.
Receiving
Bay Springs – None; McEvans – Brandon Hall 4-42, Omarion Blakes 3-33, Brenton Hall 3-17, Bryan Dotson 1-7, Jalen Smith 2-5.
Photos courtesy of Jesse Johnson
