KILN – After the first four offensive plays by the George County Rebels Friday evening, it looked like it was going to be a long night for the home standing Hancock Hawks. But the Hawks rebounded and gave the Rebels a game, before finally falling 28-7.

“We hung around,” Hawks head coach David King said. “Like we have been saying all year, we need to learn how to finish and start believing we can win.”

George County jumped out of the gates quickly when junior tailback Billy Joe Johnson rumbled 67 yards for a touchdown on the Rebels’ first play of the game.

Will Scott’s extra point made the score 7-0 just seconds into the first quarter.

On the Rebels’ next drive, Adrian Bradley raced 69 yards to the Hawks one and Johnson scored on the next play.

With 7:32 to play in the first, the Rebels led 14-0.

Hancock took over at the 24 after the kickoff and began finding success through the air. The Hawks introduced a new offense by going to the spread.

After a Hawks drive was thwarted by an interception at the three, the Hawks defense got the ball back on a fumble recovery by Hunter Seymour early in the second quarter to set up the Hawks lone touchdown.

Gillihan scrambled for six yards, and then found Chris Bermond for seven more and a first down.

Three plays later, Gillihan hit Adrian Whavers on a wheel-route for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Donald Reyer added the point-after and the Hawks were back in the game 14-7 with 6:27 to play in the second.

Hancock had an excellent opportunity to tie the score just before half-time when Seymour recovered another fumble at the 15 with just :23 seconds to play.

The Rebels fumbled five times on the evening. Seymour recovered four of them for the Hawks.

After a pass interference call, the Hawks had a first-and-goal at the eight, However, good defense from the Rebels resulted in a sack of Gillihan and the time on the first half clock ran out.

George County took control of the game in the third when they marched 10 plays to score their third touchdown, a seven-yard run by Johnson.

After trading possessions, the Rebels iced the game early in the fourth with an eight-yard score by Bradley.

Hancock continued to fire away and they drove the ball down the field twice on the Rebel defense before turning the ball over on downs.

Gillihan ended the game, completing 14 of 32 passes for 178 yards and one score.

He was intercepted three times, all by Rebel cornerback Jerome Polk.

King said he liked the production of the passing game and it was something the Hawks would have done sooner if not for an injury to Gillihan.

“We are still learning,” King said. “Keagon is finally getting to be able to throw the ball and be where he wants to be.”

The loss drops the Hawks to 2-6, but King said his team is hoping to finish on a high note. Next week, Hancock travels to Biloxi (1-7) and the Hawks finish the year at home against Harrison Central.