CARRIERE — It was a needed win. It was a dominating win. But it was just one win.
The road to a possible playoff berth is a long one for the McComb Tigers. They took the first step on that path with a 32-0 blanking of the outmanned Pearl River Central Blue Devils in a key Region 3-5A tilt here Friday night.
The Tigers (2-6 overall, 1-3 in district play) must win the remainder of their games to have a chance at the postseason.
McComb will host Forest Hill next Friday at 7 p.m., before games at Brookhaven and at homecoming against Stone County to close out the regular season.
“The effort was OK, but we were supposed to beat them,” McComb head coach Malcolm Jones said of his team’s performance. “I’m glad to get a win, but it’s not a lot of fun doing it like this. We came out and executed and they couldn’t stop our offense.”
McComb racked up 479 yards total offense, 405 of that coming on the ground.
As a unit, the Tigers collected 13 carries of at least 10 yards and had four players with more than 50 yards rushing.
Leading the group was senior Marshall Dexter, who had just two carries for 118 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds to go in the opening quarter that put McComb ahead 6-0.
The game also was a breakout performance for Mario Smith. After undergoing hip surgery in the spring, the senior running back has been used sparingly in earlier games this season.
On Friday night, Smith carried just six times, but had 89 yards rushing, including a gorgeous run early in the second quarter in which he leapfrogged a Pearl River Central defender, then cut sharply to his left to complete a 48-yard run to the Blue Devils’ 10-yard line.
While the Tigers didn’t score on that drive, junior quarterback Lamarvin Ashley got McComb to the end zone later in the second period when his 4-yard run extended the lead to 12-0 with 3:26 to go before halftime.
Ashley finished with 9 carries for 79 yards and two touchdowns. He also was 3-for-8 passing for 57 yards and another touchdown. He was intercepted once.
McComb’s score was set up when Tigers’ defensive lineman Richard Smith scooped up a Pearl River Central fumble at the Blue Devils’ 12-yard line. Smith originally ran in the turnover for the touchdown, but a late-hit penalty against McComb nullified the score and put the Tigers back to the Pearl River Central 19 to open the drive.
Freshman running back Demarius Brown also made a big impression in his varsity debut.
Brown suffered a separated shoulder in the first week of the junior varsity season, but was added to the varsity roster this week. He finished Friday night with seven carries for 57 yards.
“I knew he had it in him,” Jones said. “One thing I tried to do was get the future in there tonight. He showed what kind of talent he has.”
After taking the opening kickoff of the second half, the Tigers needed just two plays to once again find the end zone when Demarcus Jenkins scored on a 30-yard end-around to make it 18-0 with 11:41 left in the third period.
Jenkins finished the night with 57 yards on four carries. His touchdown was set up on the first play from scrimmage of the third period when Ashley went around the right end for a 32-yard run to the Blue Devils’ 30.
Meanwhile, McComb’s defense, did a number on the Pearl River Central offense and tailback Bryce Spence.
With 369 yards this season, Spence entered Friday’s game as the Blue Devils’ leading rusher. Against the Tigers, he was limited to 87 yards on 24 carries. As a team, the Blue Devils managed just 101 yards total offense.
After another Pearl River Central drive ended in three-and-out, McComb assembled a 6-play, 85-yard drive that ended with Ashley scoring on a 5-yard run for his second touchdown of the night.
After the Tigers failed on three extra-point attempts in the game, Ashley pulled up the snap on a fake PAT try and found Deonte Evans in the end zone for the 2-point conversion to make it 26-0 with 8:44 left in the third quarter.
Ashley capped the scoring when he found Jenkins on a 38-yard touchdown pass with 5:43 to play.
Ashley found Jenkins on a post pattern. Jenkins reeled in the pass at the 5-yard line and strolled untouched into the end zone.
