At first glance, the 5-foot-7, 190-pound Jamal Hall doesn’t looklike an all-state running back. At first impact, Hall resembles apowerful bulldozer, plowing through tacklers and piling upyardage.

Hall had a ball Friday night on King Field, rushing 34 times for185 yards and one touchdown, sparking the unbeaten Picayune MaroonTide to a 38-28 victory over Brookhaven’s Panthers. Picayune,amassing 409 yards total offense, raised its record to 7-0 overalland 3-0 in the Region 3-5A race.

“Jamal is a tough kid,” said Picayune coach Dodd Lee. “We don’thide it (rushing attack) and we throw for good yardage, too.”

Brookhaven (3-4, 1-3) made a game of it Friday night for most ofthe first half. The Panthers scored early on a blazing 62-yard runby senior tailback Travorius Showers. Dewey Stailey’s PAT put thehosts up 7-0.

Powell pounded the Panther defense for 121 first-half yards andPicayune unleashed a potent passing game as sophomore quarterbackBen Hickman hooked up with his big tight end, Malcolm Faciane (6-6,250), for a 37-yard TD pass, making it 7-7 on Pacer Frierson’s PATkick.

Hickman’s 1-yard sneak put Picyune up 14-7 with 9:32 left in thefirst half climaxing a 14-play, 88-yard drive. The Panthersresponded with

a quick 61-yard TD march as senior quarterback Duwone Harriscompleted consecutive passes to wide receiver Trent Powell and thenthrew a scoring strike to Sherrod Gray on a slant pattern, makingit 14-14 with 7:01 left in the first half.

That score ignited Picayune as the Tide scored 24 unanswered pointsand led 38-14 with 9:45 remaining in the game.

Hall scored his only TD of the game on the next series as the Tidewent 61 yards in 13 plays. It was 21-14 with 1:13 left in the firsthalf.

A Panther fumble of a pooch kickoff set the Tide up at Brook’s 27.Hickman hit Faciane down the sideline for 19 yards to the BHS8-yard line. Faciane suffered an ankle injury on that play and satout the remainder of the game. Hickman’s sneak pushed the Tideahead 28-14 at halftime.

Lee had lambasted his team after the previous week’s second-halfcollapse against Stone County as the Tide prevailed 49-34. Thistime there was no collapse.

“We need to improve our football team each week,” said Lee. “Weplay as bad as anybody on four or five plays each game.”

To start the second half, BHS advanced to Picayune’s 39-yard linebefore and errant pitchout pushed the Panthers back 16 yards andthe Tide recovered at Brook’s 45. Six plays later, Hickman went thefinal six yards and it was 35-14.

Frierson’s 27-yard field goal put the Tide up 38-14 with 9:45 leftin the game.

The Panthers rallied for two late touchdowns as Showers raced 33yards up the middle and Harris scored on a sneak. Showers finishedwith 11 carries for 128 yards. Harris completed 11 of 20 passes for171 yards.

“Hall is consistent and powerful,” said Ole Brook head coach TuckerPeavey. “He can change directions well. Picayune does a good jobblocking.”

Peavey said the fumbled kickoff before halftime gave Picayunemomentum. “That blunder was big. It gave them a two-touchdown leadat halftime.

“Our kids kept playing hard, even when we got behind,” he added.”We must learn to be more consistent.”

Peavey’s Panthers host Stone County for homecoming Friday.