GULFPORT — Sophomore quarterback Seth Avants rushed thefootball 13 times for 104 yards and scored a touchdown Friday nightto spark the Bogue Chitto Bobcats to a big 40-15 Region 4-1A winover the Gulfport St. John Eagles.

Avants completed 7 of 11 passes for 103 yards and anothertouchdown.

Bogue Chitto improved to 2-2 on the season and are undefeatedwith a 2-0 record in the region.

“It was good to get a division win on the road,” said BogueChitto head football coach Gareth Sartin. “In the first half, wedidn’t play real well. In the second half, we played a little bitbetter. We find a way to get it done.”

Bogue Chitto returns to Troy Smith Field Friday night afterthree weeks on the road to host region foe Biloxi Mercy Cross. Thegame starts at 7 p.m.

Following a scoreless first quarter, Avants scored the firsttouchdown for Bogue Chitto on a five-yard run. Dontae Ratcliff setup the TD after returning a punt 77 yards. The PAT kick failed.

St. John came back to cut the deficit to 7-6. Bogue Chittoresponded with a 6-yard plunge by Mario Addison. The try for twopoints failed as the Bobcats led 12-7 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Bobcats pushed their lead to 20-7following a 13-yard run by Ratcliff and two-point conversion run byAvants.

The Eagles scored their final TD and two point conversion to cutthe Bobcats lead to 20-15 going into the fourth quarter.

Bogue Chitto added three touchdowns to push its lead to 40-15.Byron Kersee recorded a seven-yard TD and Donyea Dillon scored onruns of two and 64 yards. Addison caught a pass from Avants for atwo-point conversion.

On the night, the Bobcats rushed the football 33 times for 272yards and finished with 103 yards in the air for 375 totalyards.

The Eagles managed 126 yards on 27 carries and had 25 yardspassing for 151 yards.

Contributing to the Bobcat win with 11 rushes for 88 yards wasDillon. Ratcliff rushed four times for 42 yards. Carrying seventimes for 30 yards was Kersee. Cole Laird finished with a carry foreight years. On the night, Ratcliff finished added 115 return yardsfor 187 all-purpose yards in the game.

Catching five passes for 66 yards was Addison. Keyonna Perkinsfollowed with two catches for 35 yards.

Defensively, Scott Brown led the Bobcats with11 tackles and recovered two fumbles. Cole Laird, Bubba Bigner andKeyouna Perkins followed with 10 tackles apiece.

Sartin had high praise for the Bobcat defense. “They playedreally good all night long.”