BOGUE CHITTO – It was a wild Friday Night on Troy Smith Field. Football fans watched Bogue Chitto and West Lowndes provide an offensive show that totaled 93 points in the scoring frenzy.

     Senior running back James “Piero” Blackwell and his brother, junior Jermaine Blackwell combined for 276 yards rushing and scored four touchdowns as the Bobcats won 57-36 over the West Lowndes Panthers in the opening round of the Class 1A State Playoffs. BC amassed a total of 458 yards offense.

     “This was a good win,” said BC coach Gareth Sartin. “Every win in the playoffs is big. In the first quarter, we dug ourselves into a hole early, but fought back to take the lead before halftime.”

     “In the second half, we managed to continue our game plan with strong rushing attacks and strong defensive stops,” added Sartin.  “Our offensive line did a great job controlling the line to allow Jermaine and James (Blackwell) to run hard.

     “Our defense also step up big; limiting West Lowndes to just nine yards rushing,” stated Sartin. “Overall, I am proud of the guys effort to put the game away in the fourth quarter. We must get ready for a tough Pelahatchie team.”

     The undefeated, No. 1-ranked Bobcats resume action Friday. They will host the Pelahatchie Chiefs in the second round of the playoffs. The Chiefs knocked off the Natchez Cathedral Green Wave 51-40 in the opener.

     In the first quarter, the Columbus-based Panthers came out strong and struck first. Senior defensive end Devonta Koger picked up a fumble on a bad snap from BC’s third play on offense and returned it 32 yards to paydirt with 10:51 remaining. Sophomore running back Eric Harris cashed in the 2-point conversion on a run.

     Bogue Chitto (12-0) quickly fought back and marched down the field to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Brock Roberts with 6:08 left. The Bobcats were unsuccessful on the 2-point conversion try.

     West Lowndes (5-7) answered with a strong passing attack late in the first quarter to move the ball down the field and allow Harris to score a touchdown on a 6-yard run with 3:49 remaining. Marquise Miller rushed in the Panthers second 2-point conversion. West Lowndes held an 16-6 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

     In the second quarter, the Bobcats exploded for 23 unanswered points. James Blackwell started the rally with an 18-yard sprint to paydirt with 6:50 remaining. Jermaine Blackwell plowed through for the 2-point conversion.

     On the next possession, BC’s special team recovered an onside kickoff to allow their offense to set up another scoring opportunity. Roberts hooked up with Germie Martin on a 27-yard touchdown pass with 6:02 remaining. Roberts ran in the 2-point conversion.

     James Blackwell scored the Bobcats’ final touchdown of the first half with a 6-yard scramble and 1:11 left. Cameron Price finished with a perfect five-of-five on extra points kicks.

     West Lowndes refused to go down and quickly marched back. Justin Stephenson connected with junior receiver Dearius Douglas for a 23-yard touchdown strike as time expires in the first half. The Panthers were unsuccessful on the 2-point conversion try. The Bobcats commanded a 29-22 halftime lead.

     In the third quarter, both teams started slow. West Lowndes managed to take advantage and cut BC’s lead to 1-point on a 4-yard scramble by Harris with 9:29 remaining. The Panthers went for 2-points but failed on the pass attempt.

     BC bounced back and answered the challenge, with an 11-yard run from Roberts with 4:17 left. The Bobcats held a 36-28 lead going into the final frame.

     In the fourth quarter, Bogue Chitto provided another scoring onslaught with 21 answered points to push their lead to 57-28.

     Jermaine Blackwell led the scoring spree with a 3-yard run with 11:33 remaining, and a 19-yard sprint with 3:19 left.

     BC’s defense managed to get into the scoring mix as senior cornerback Jimmy McNulty intercepted a pass and returned it 45 yards to paydirt with 10:52 remaining.

     The Panthers provided the final points of the game, when Douglas scrambled 4 yards to paydirt with 1:56 left. Harris rushed in the 2-point conversion.

     “Bogue Chitto has a good, strong and physical team,” said West Lowndes coach Anthony King. “They fought back in the second quarter to take the lead before halftime and took away our momentum in the second half.

     “They completely stopped our rushing game,” continued King. “We had to rely on our passing attack more and we struggled to convert. Overall, I was very pleased with my guys effort and willingness to compete. I wish Bogue Chitto luck through the remainder of the playoffs.”

     Defensively, Jermonte “Scooter” Barnes led the Bobcats with 10 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery. Jeremy Blackwell and Jermaine Blackwell provided 6 stops apiece.

     James Blackwell and Matthew Black contributed two quarterback sacks. Zeek Perkins had a quarterback sack. Roberts and McNulty intercepted a pass.

     Offensively, James Blackwell was the leader in Bogue Chitto’s ground attack, rushing for 154 yards on 18 carries. Jermaine Blackwell provided 122 yards on 13 rushes.

     Roberts directed the passing attack for BC, completing 4-of-10 passes for 93 yards. Martin was the top receiver with 3 catches for 53 yards. Dennis Rogers caught a pass for 40 yards.

     Stephenson led the Panthers, completing 13-of-22 passes for 225 yards and 2 interceptions. Mack Smith paced the aerial attack with 5 catches for 78 yards.

     Harris directed the West Lowndes rushing attack with 16 carries for 21 yards.