By CURTIS ROCKWELL

Item Sports Editor

McCOMB — The start of the Picayune-McComb game was delayed 90 minutes due to inclement weather Friday night.

Despite the late start, the Maroon Tide began quickly.

Picayune jumped out to a quick 12-0 lead six minutes into the game and never trailed, as the Maroon Tide opened up Region 5-3A play with a 34-6 thumping of the homestanding Tigers.

The win pushes Picayune to 2-2 overall, thanks to its second straight win, and head coach Dodd lee’s team is 1-0 in its new league surroundings. McComb drops to 1-4 overall and 0-1.

“It was a good win and we are glad to get it,” Lee said. “I think we are still getting better but we still have a lot of improving we can do.”

Maroon Tide standout junior running back Jamal Hall ran for three first half touchdowns and finished with 161 yards rushing, leading a Picayune offense that tallied five scores on the ground on a field that was saturated thanks to a heavy rain and lighting storm that pelted the field at C.C. Moore Stadium just before kickoff.

“I think we showed them some different sets that we worked on and we took advantage of some things that helped us,” Lee added.

Picayune’s Troy Egana recovered a fumble on the Tigers’ opening drive setting the Maroon Tide up at mid-field, and Hall just minutes later splashed his way to a 40-yard scoring run.

Maroon Tide defender Wayne McMooain then came up with an interception on the Tigers ensuing possession, and Hall then Rambled 34 yards to McComb’s eight where Joel Davis would score from making it 12-0.

After McComb scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak from Lemarvin Ashley, Picayune closed the half with a 17-yard scoring run from Hall who then added the two-point conversion to make it 20-6 at halftime.

“I told them at halftime that if we scored on our first drive of the second half that we would win the game,” Lee said.

And that’s exactly what happened.

Picayune took the second half kickoff and drove 67 yards in seven plays and Hall rolled in from 7-yards to put the game away.

The Tide closed the scoring out in the final period when Scottie Merrill scored on a 4-yard run.

The Maroon Tide defense, after giving up 41 points to Moss Point in a season opening loss and then 22 points to Forrest County in the first half of the next game, has now allowed just 14 points in the past 10 quarters of play.

Picayune returns home to face Forest Hill for Homecoming on Friday, after the Patriots beat Pearl River Central 30-6 Friday to also begin league play 1-0.

Both the Maroon Tide and the Patriots, who met in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs last year, have been ranked at times throughout the season in the Class 5A Associated Press Prep Poll.