The Dog Days of August have been good for the unbeaten FranklinCounty Bulldogs. They chalked up their second win of the youngseason Friday night, crushing the Loyd Star Hornets 54-14 onWilliam E. “Sambo” Smith Field.

Junior quarterback Jay Davis threw only two passes but the secondwent to Fred Coleman for a 41-yard Bulldog touchdown as thevisitors took a 34-0 halftime lead. Davis was content to makehandoffs to Jimmy Barnes, Chris Robinson and Troy Norman. That trioresembled 4-wheel drive pickup trucks trimmed in navy blue and theybroke through Loyd Star’s defense, bouncing off tacklers andtearing up the turf.

Barnes finished with 124 yards rushing and a 7-yard touchdown on 14carries. Robinson gained 75 yards on 9 carries.

“We are looking pretty good,” said Davis. “We are a good runningteam. Our offensive line did a good job tonight.”

Asked about the TD toss, Davis said, “One corner didn’t cover andFred was wide open. We just hooked up.”

The Class 3A Bulldogs, fresh from an upset victory at Class 4ANorth Pike, dominated Class 2A Loyd Star. Norman’s 10-yard TD rungot them going. An interception by Robinson of a Seth Farmer passset up the TD pass to Coleman. It was 13-0 after kicker MattBrasher split the uprights.

Coleman returned a punt 75 yards for the third TD of the game. TreyHannon and Barnes each had 7-yard scoring runs in the secondquarter.

FCHS head coach Rickey O’Quinn was satisfied with the win but hepointed out the three second-half fumbles his team gave up in thesecond half. That was unacceptable.

“We wanted to put an emphasis on running the football tonight,especially in the second and third quarters,” said O’Quinn. “Barnesand Robinson ran the ball well.”

O’Quinn pointed to his team’s next two road tests, Tylertown andClarksdale, as extremely important. “We must be ready to play themon the road.”

There was no stopping the Bulldogs until O’Quinn rested most of hisstarting offense in the middle of the third quarter. Hannon’s12-yard run had put FC up 41-zip.

Hollis Hunt ran 9 yards for a TD and Coleman returned a kickoff 90yards to paydirt in the fourth quarter.

To their credit, the Hornets doggedly refused to quit. Marquis Simsabsorbed a physical beating but he responded with a 31-yard TD runin the final frame and finished with 22 rushes for 121 yards.

Josh Butler rumbled 42 yards for Hornet TD with 3:37 left to playand Cori Crowe notched his second extra point. Butler rushed 13times for 98 yards.

Loyd Star coach Randall Huffman kept his starting unit in the gameto the end, trying to establish a cohesive unit. The Hornets (0-2)visit Class 1A power Natchez Cathedral next.

“We were outmanned up front but we didn’t quit,” said Huffman.”Franklin County has a good bunch and they are solid upfront.

“I’d rather play a strong team like them rather then a weak bunch,”he added. “We have to get these young men ready for the districtschedule.”

On defense, Jeremy Hunt led the Bulldogs with 7 tackles. ClarenceO’Quinn and Edward Robinson each had 6 tackles.