WAYNESBORO, Ga. --- Burke County did more than win its first playoff game since 2000 on Friday night. It clobbered visiting Mary Persons 42-14, scoring on its first five possessions and doing anything it wanted on offense.
Quarterback Terrell Brigham completed all seven of his passes for 189 yards, and the Bears ran for 171 yards and didn't allow any points until late in the fourth quarter, when there was a running clock.
"We were able to stay focused and come out and execute right away," said Burke County coach Eric Parker, whose team will play at Region 1-AAA champion Cairo in the second round next week.
It was difficult for the Bears to pinpoint a flaw on the night, other than the fact storms delayed the game more than an hour and threatened to transform the field into a rice paddy.
During the delay, Brigham said he went to sleep.
"Just needed a little rest," he said.
Shortly after he woke up, the game was in hand. Burke County led by three touchdowns a minute into the second quarter and 35-0 at intermission.
"It was a beautiful thing," said senior Bobby Burum, who intercepted two passes and was responsible for three touchdowns. "Been a long time coming."
The Bears (8-3) had lost in the first round of the playoffs three times since their last win, including a humbling 43-12 home defeat to Worth County a season ago.
With that in mind, Parker used an aggressive schedule -- Burke County's three defeats were to two larger schools and Class AAA unbeaten Baldwin -- to prepare the Bears for this moment, and they responded with perhaps their best game of the season.
"We've been playing really well the past five or six games," Parker said.
The Bulldogs (7-4), the No. 3 seed out of Region 4-AAA, had a 48-yard touchdown called back by a holding penalty on their most promising first-half drive. It ended two plays later when Burum picked off his second pass, and moments later Burke was cruising down the field for a four-touchdown lead.
Brigham became the school's first player to rush for more than 1,000 yards and throw for more than 1,000 yards in the same season with a 13-yard run early in the first quarter.
He had rushed for 974 yards and thrown for 1,356 yards (second in the area) in the Bears' first 10 games.
Reach Matt Middleton at (706) 823-3425 or matt.middleton@augustachronicle.com.
BURKE COUNTY 42, MARY PERSONS 14
PLAY OF THE GAME: Bobby Burum intercepted Mary Persons' first pass attempt and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the second quarter.
WHY MARY PERSONS LOST: It started sluggish and never solved Burke's tricky offense.
WHY BURKE COUNTY WON: It scored on all four of its first-half possessions to put the game away before halftime.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Burke County quarterback Terrell Brigham was responsible for five touchdowns and led an offense that never met any resistance.
NEXT: Burke County (8-3) travels to Region 1-AAA champion Cairo, a first-round winner over Troup, next Friday.
MT. ZION-JONESBORO 36, EVANS 10
Mt. Zion 15 7 7 7 -- 36
Evans 0 3 0 7 -- 10
First quarter
MZ--Drexel Copeland 12 pass from Jerrel King (Everett Sanchez kick), 9:17
MZ--Quarterrlo Morgan 8 run (Copeland run), 6:26
Second quarter
E--Jamie Galvin 34 FG, 11:55
MZ-- King 7 run (Sanchez kick), 1:09
Third quarter
MZ-- King 13 run (Sanchez kick), 4:36
Fourth quarter
MZ--Lackendall Irby 10 pass from Jerrel King (Sanchez kick), 4:26
E--Troy Griffith 6 run (Galvin kick), 1:30
| MZ | E | |
| First Downs | 10 | 12 |
| Rushes-Yards | 29-160 | 28-142 |
| Passing Yards | 22 | 57 |
| Comp.-Att.-Int. | 2-11-0 | 5-18-3 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 0-0 | 3-2 |
| Punts-Yards | 5-36.4 | 2-15 |
| Penalties-Yards | 7-55 | 4-35 |
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Mt. Zion-Jonesboro: Quarterrlo Morgan 14-95, Josh King 10-42, Jarrel King 5-23. Evans: Jonathan Finch 14-93, Troy Griffith 8-45, Jamerson Turner 5-2, Hector Mallar 1-2.
PASSING--Mt. Zion-Jonesboro: Jerrel King 2-11-0 22. Evans: Griffith 5-17-3 142.
RECEIVING--Mt. Zion-Jonesboro: Drexel Copeland 1-12, Irby 1-10. Evans: Black 2-28, Tevin Nelson 1-21, Sam Nichols 1-6.
icon.
