JACKSON – Defense and special teams keptthe unbeaten Brookhaven Panthers in charge Friday night. Greg Simsreturned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown, quarterback Zach Smithtossed two TD passes and the Panthers limited Wingfield to 160yards total offense as they won their first Region 3-5A  test of the season 28-6.

    Ole Brook (4-0), ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press Class 5A PrepPoll, took a 28-0, third-quarter lead and turned back the winless(0-5) Falcons in a lackluster second half that was slowed byturnovers. The Panthers host archrival McComb Friday night on KingField as region play heats up.

    BHS head coach Wade Henderson chastened his team for theirperformance after the game as the visitors’ side pole lights werequickly turned off. Huddled in the shadows near the end zone,Henderson warned his team about their complacent attitude andchallenged them to improve their energy level.

    “There was a lack of focus and we didn’t play very good at all,”said Henderson. We will take the win but we are going to have toplay much better in the weeks ahead.”

    Asked for a bright spot, Henderson said, “Our special teams playedwell.”

    The Panthers scored twice in the first quarter. Sims gathered inthe punt from Wingfield’s Octavius Donald, picked up some keyblocks and raced to paydirt. Stephen Davey clicked on his first offour extra point kicks and the Panthers led 7-0.

    On the next exchange, Sims returned Donald’s punt 32 yards to theWingfield 38. Junior running back Justin Blue climaxed the 7-playdrive with a 5-yard plunge over the right side. It was 14-zip with2:10 left in the first quarter.

    Sims provided another dazzling return on the last play of the firstquarter, taking Donald’s punt 47 yards to the Wingfield 15-yardline. On the second quarter’s first play, Smith threw to SherrodGray who made a leaping TD catch in the end zone. It was 21-0 with11:52 left in the first half.

    The Falcons only managed 47 yards total offense the first half andleading rusher Ryan Mosley injured his right ankle early in thesecond quarter. Mosley had 7 rushes for 26 yards.

    In the third quarter, the large crowd of BHS fans watched thedefense put the heat on towering senior Wingfield quarterbackOliver Black (6-7,185) who filled the air with footballs. Blackattempted 28 passes and completed 11 for 142 yards.

    BHS defensive end Jaboree Poole and tackle Malcolm Stewart combinedon a key play to set up Brook’s final score. Poole smacked Black ashe was attempting a pass and Stewart alertly caught it in midair,plunging forward to Wingfield’s 3-yard line.

    “Poole grabbed the quarterback and ball popped loose,” saidStewart, recalling the play as he held an ice pack on his leftshoulder after the game. “I saw the ball floating in the air. Itlooked like gold.”

    On the next play, Smith rolled to his right and flipped a 3-yard TDpass to Ross Hill, making it 28-zip with 7:08 left in the thirdquarter.

    The Panthers had more opportunities to score but several big playswere wiped out by holding penalties. Turnover also hurt. Smithfumbled twice and was intercepted once.

    Coach Vernon Perry’s Falcons recovered a fumble at their 43-yardline and needed six plays to reach the end zone as Black completedpasses for 21 and 27 yards along the way. Sophomore running backPaul Moore plunged the final 7 yards up the middle with 00:04 leftin the third frame.