JACKSON — By land and in the air, Brookhaven’s offensivemachine rumbled through the Wingfield Falcons Friday night. Runningback Ronny McNulty rushed for 132 yards and scored 3 touchdownswhile quarterback Jimmy Johns passed for 167 yards and threw 3 TDsto wide receiver Bud Chatman in the 49-12 victory on Forest Hill’sgridiron.

It was no contest as the Panthers (3-1) roared to a 42-6halftime lead over the outmanned and winless Falcons. McNultyscored his final touchdown on a 4-yard sprint to cap Brookhaven’sfirst possession of the third quarter. It retired Ole Brook’sstarting offense for the remainder of the game.

McNulty also had a 52-yard punt return for a TD in the secondquarter, highlighted by Jessie Bowman’s crushing, pancake block ofa Wingfield defender.

“I got some big blocks out there,” said McNulty as he and histeammates were serenaded by the BHS band. “That punt return wasbig. I got some blocks from Jessie Bowman.”

Bowman, an all-state defensive tackle, helped the Pantherspunish Wingfield’s offense. The Falcons only had 12 yards totaloffense in the first half and just 3 first downs, 2 of them comingby penalty.

Receiving a generous dose of Capital City officiating, thePanthers were kept off stride by a whopping 12 penalties for 145yards. A second-quarter, 42-yard punt return by McNulty was wipedout by a penalty.

Brookhaven’s passing game resembled a Division I combinationwith Johns throwing and the 6-foot-5 Chatman catching. Chatmancaught TD passes of 11, 21 and 26 yards from Johns who was a sharp10 of 14 passing.

The Panthers scored 5 second-quarter touchdowns to entertain thelarge crowd of Ole Brook fans who followed them to Jackson. Theyhad taken a 7-0, first-quarter lead on a sneak by Johns and a PATkick by Will Thibodeaux.

Chatman caught his first TD pass, an 11-yarder from Johns, andit was 14-0. McNulty followed with his 52-yard punt return for a TDand added a 4-yard scoring run. Chatman pulled in a 21-yard TD passfrom Johns, making it 35-0.

Wingfield got some relief when Justin Vance returned the ensuingkickoff 78 yards to paydirt, dodging a tackler and racing down thesideline. The Falcons trailed 35-6 with 1:25 left in the firsthalf.

Seventeen seconds later, Chatman was leaping for a 26-yard TDpass from Johns. Thibodeaux’s PAT made it 42-6 at halftime.

“We dominated the game,” said BHS head coach Tucker Peavey. “Butwe made some mistakes. You can’t do that against a good team.”

Peavey’s Panthers, the defending Region 6-4A champions, returnhome Friday to host the Jim Hill Tigers in a second region test.Kickoff is 7 p.m. on King Field.

Peavey played his reserves most of the second half. Wingfieldfinally got a second TD on a 4-yard pass from Otis Wright to TimWeathersby.

“Brookhaven is a lot bigger than we are,” said Wingfield coachChuck Foley. “They have big linemen on offense and defense.Brookhaven has a good program and Coach Peavey does a great jobcoaching them.”