By CURTIS ROCKWELL

Item Sports Editor

Picayune’s football team reached one of its goals on the gridiron Friday night.

Several others still lie ahead.

The Maroon Tide smashed visiting Brookhaven 47-14 in a Region 3-5A contest. It was Picayune’s fifth straight win, and the Maroon Tide (5-2, 4-0) clinched a playoff berth while remaining perfect in league play.

The Panthers fall to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the loop and were denied their second straight league win.

Picayune jumped out to a 13-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, tallying seven rushing scores from five different runners and rolling up over 300 yards on the ground in the game.

“We were successful running the ball so I didn’t see a reason to change,” Picayune head coach Dodd Lee said. “The playoffs are always a goal for us, so it was a good win.”

The Maroon Tide took advantage of several Brookhaven turnovers to take control.

“We were never really able to stop them defensively,” Brookhaven head coach Tucker Peavey said. “Then we loose the ball a few times and all of a sudden it starts to get out of control and ballon on us. We have to protect the ball better.”

Picayune wasted no time in taking a lead it would never relinquish, as the Maroon Tide took the opening kickoff and moved 45 yards in seven plays with Jamal Hall scoring on a five yard run.

Malcom Faciane set the drive in motion by returning the opening kickoff 30 yards to the Panther 45.

Brookhaven quarterback Duwone Harries would fumble the ball away on the Panther’s first series, with Picayune’s Robbie Bender recovering at the Tide 35.

Chris Burton capped that Tide drive with a 3-yard scoring run and Picayune led 13-0 at the end of the first frame.

Harris got the Panthers on the board on the next possession, taking advantage of Isiah White’s 39 yard kickoff return to the Picayune 31. Harris scored on a 16 yard scamper, making it 13-7 less than two minutes into the second stanza.

The Maroon Tide wasted no time in extending their lead again, marching once again on the ensuing Picayune possession as Joel Davis capped the drive with a 6-yard plunge and the home team was up 20-7 at halftime.

Picayune quickly put to rest any thoughts Brookhaven had of a comeback, as on the second play of the second half the Tide’s Derronte Mage recovered a Panther fumble at the Brookhaven 22.

Hall scored his second touchdown of the night five plays later, this one from 1-yard out, and Picayune led 27-6.

The on-slaught continued, as Picayune’s Scottie Merrill scored twice on runs of 2 and 23 yards and Magee also added a touchdown run from 6 yards out to make it 47-7 with nine minutes to play.

Harris added the final score of the game, as the Panther quarterback scrambled for a 4-yard run late in the game.

“We took advantage of their mistakes and that’s what we have to do,” Lee added. “We got the ball in a lot of guys hands.”

Hall, who now has over 1,200 yards rushing on the season, finished with 127 yards and didn’t play much in the second half.

Jonathan Moore had an interception for Picayune as well that also led to a Maroon Tide touchdown.

“There was some good stuff for us, but way too much bad,” Peavy concluded. “We have to go back to work and keep improving.”

Picayune hosts arch-rival Pearl River Central Friday while Brookhaven travels to Stone in a game that has huge playoff implications for the fourth spot in the league as in addition to Picayune, Wayne County and West Jones also secured playoff spots with wins on Friday.