RAYMOND – Using a stingy defense and a balanced rushing game,the Brookhaven Academy Cougars defeated the Central Hinds AcademyCougars Friday night 28-13. It was the second straight win for theunbeaten Brookhaven squad.

Senior fullback Adam Smith led Brookhaven’s ground attack Fridaynight. Smith bruised his way to 113 yards and 2 touchdowns on 13carries. “My offensive line did a good job tonight and I just triedto keep pumping my legs and stay moving,” said Smith.

The first half started off well for BA when senior cornerbackChad Lagrone recovered a fumble on the first Central Hinds drive ofthe game. However, the Cougars of Brookhaven would give the ballright back up when Smith fumbled at the end of a 20-yard run.

Central Hinds ensuing drive was stopped when junior cornerbackWill Rushing picked of CHS’s Daniel Stuggs pass on the Cougars’4-yard line.

Two plays later, BA’s Ryan Nix got loose for a 74-yard run thattook him all the way down to the CHA 6-yard line. BA’s seniorquarterback Ben Davis would follow Nix’s big run two plays laterwith a 3-yard dash in to the end zone. Smith kicked the PAT and BAled 7-0.

Central Hinds next drive would end when Stubbs threw his secondpick of the night, this one to senior linebacker Jeffrey Waycaster.Waycaster would return the ball 32 yards for the score and afterthe Smith PAT; BA led 14-0 at the end of one quarter. The Cougarsof Central Hinds would put the ball on the ground again and thistime junior Tyler Lofton would recover it. BA couldn’t capitalizeon the turnover though and were forced to punt. The ensuing drivewould see CHS getting on the board on a 3-yard plunge by Stubbs.The PAT failed and at halftime, Brookhaven led 14-6.

Waycaster got things going for the Cougars in the second halfwith a 25-yard gain on a reverse. Waycaster would finish the nightwith 96 yards on 5 carries. On the next play, Adam Smith rumbledhis way in from 39 yards out. After the Smith PAT, the Brookhavenlead was now 2806. Smith would get his final TD of the night latein the fourth quarter from 9 yards out. Central Hinds would scoreonce more with under a minute left in the game. The PAT was good,giving BA its final margin of victory, 28-13.

“This was a good win against a tough team,” said Cougars coachRay Ishee. “Our defense did a good job tonight of bending but notbreaking,” said Ishee.

BA gained 11 first downs on the night. Davis rushed 17 times for37 yards and Nix ran 4 times for 61 yards.

Senior Blake Killingsworth led the Cougar defense with 11tackles. Senior defensive end Paul Coker racked up 10 tackles andjunior Lane Morton also recovered a fumble.

BA is at home next week hosting the Prentiss ChristianSaints.