GALLMAN — Despite six turnovers, including two passinterceptions, the Copiah Academy Colonels overcame their miscuesto put away the East Rankin Academy Patriots 21-13 Fridaynight.

Copiah (2-0) was directed to the win on the scrambling talentsof running back David Brunt. Brunt, a 6-foot-1, 192-pound senior,rushed the football 27 times for 202 yards and scored a pair oftouchdowns.

“We had a letdown,” said Copiah head football coach MitchMitchell. “We didn’t play as well as we did against BrookhavenAcademy (a week earlier). We had six turnovers.”

Following a scoreless first quarter, Copiah got a break whensenior linebacker Kyle Myles picked off East Rankin quarterbackJacob Massey’s pass and returned it 20 yards for a 6-0 lead for theColonels. Richard Henley kicked the PAT and Copiah led East Rankin7-0.

Brunt scored his first TD of the game on a five-yard run to pushthe Colonels lead to 13-0 following a missed PAT by Henley.

With seconds left in the first half, East Rankin punched in itsfirst score of the game on a one-yard plunge by Massey and a PATkick from Jep Peavy to cut the Copiah lead to 13-7 at the half.

In the third quarter, Brunt scored his final TD of the game on atwo-yard run. Quarterback Daniel Sims hit Jake Guess for thetwo-point conversion and a 21-6 lead.

East Rankin came back with its final score of the game on aseven-yard carry by Massey to cut the deficit to 21-13 following amissed PAT kick.

“We moved the ball pretty well in the second half,” addedMitchell. “We did some good things. We were sloppy. East Rankin hadsomething to do with that.”

Mitchell said that two of the Colonels’ fumbles were inside thePatriot 10-yard line.

Copiah rushed the football 38 times for 275 yards, finishingwith a total of 268 including a negative six yards passing.

Adding support on the Colonel running game with 54 yards on fourcarries was Guess. Jeb Stephens rushed three times for 11yards.

Massey completed 8 of 16 passes for 120 yards for East Rankin.The Patriots rushed the football 42 times for 89 yards, totaling209 on the night.

Defensively, the Colonels were led by Guess with eighttackles. Danny Pyles followed with seven tackles. Scott Atkin andStevens finished with six tackles apiece. Kent Miller had fivetackles and 3 1/2 quarterback sacks. Matthew Wright recovered afumble.

East Rankin led in penalties with 3-24 yards. Copiah waspenalized twice for 20 yards.

Copiah (2-0) travels to Columbia (2-0) Friday night fora battle of unbeaten Class AA schools. The game begins at 7p.m.