Ethel drew a tough assignment to open the 1A playoffs Friday with a road game against Region 4-1A champion Bay Springs. The Bulldogs are 8-1and 7-0 in 4-1A with victories the past two weeks over defending 2A champion Taylorsville 14-12 and defending 1-A champion Lumberton 36-0.
Bay Springs’ only loss came against 2A power Scott Central. Like Taylorsville, Bay Springs dropped down to 1A this year.
“They're definitely going to be tough competition, but that's why you go to the payoffs,” said Ethel Coach Adam Smith. “They run the Wing T with a heavy dose of buck sweeps. The challenge is not where they're going to run. The challenge is stopping them.”
Against Lumberton, Bay Springs ran for 310 yards, led by Tyrick Jones with 17 carries for 116 yard and a TD.
Ethel is also a run first team out of the Notre Dame Box.
“I don't figure the clock will be stopping very much Friday night,” Smith said.
The Tigers concluded the regular season with a 30-27 victory over Noxapater, although officially it was 12-0 because Noxapater had to forfeit due to beginning preseason practice before the authorized date. The MHSAA allowed Noxapater to play the game.
All of Ethel's scoring came in the first half that ended with the Tigers up 30-20. Davion Hunt scored on a one-yard run, Marcus Jones on a 65-yard kickoff return, Anton Clark on a 31-yard run on fourth down and Jaylen Estes on a 22-yard pass from Cyrus Rone.
The Tigers also had a safety when Bobo Hubbert tackled quarterback KD Carter in the end zone. The safety came after Ethel lost a fumble at the Noxapater one. Jones' TD came on the ensuing kickoff.
Carter caused problems for Ethel throughout the game.
“He’s a little bit of everything,” Smith said. “He plays some quarterback he plays some receiver. He made some big plays against us. We couldn't stop him. I haven't seen anyone on film who could stop him.”
Ethel moved the ball in the second half but was unable to get in the end zone.
“We had a couple of drives where we got into the Red Zone but made some dumb penalties,” Smith said.
The Tigers finished with 274 yards on the ground and 57 through the air. Clark had 20 carries for 130 yards and five tackles. Rone carried 18 times for 89 yards, was three of five passing for 57 yards and had an interception and five tackles. Jones carried 11 times for 47 yards
Hubbert led the defense with 10 tackles.
“We definitely played better than we have the past cope of weeks,” Smith said.
Because the game did not count in the 3-1A standings, Smith planned to substitute frequently, with greater use of the bench, but wasn't able to because the score was close throughout.
Marcus Jones of Ethel returns a kickoff for a touchdown for the Tigers.
Jeff Parks / The Star-Herald
“Even though we got the forfeit we were still trying to win the game,” he said.
Ethel is 5-2 in region play (6-2) overall, in a three-way tie with Sebastopol and French Camp for second place behind West Lowndes. Based upon points in games between the three teams, Sebastopol earned the second seed, French Camp third and Ethel fourth, resulting in a road game with the 4-1A winner. Sebastopol with be a home against Lumberton and French Camp visits Taylorsville.
The Ethel-Bay Springs winner will play the Sebastopol-Lumberton winner November 19.
