Tallulah Academy won Friday's Round 1 playoff game by 42 points, 36 of which came on the legs of running back Brayson Morson, who found the end zone 6 times in the 68-26 win over the Tensas Academy Chiefs.
Morson ran for nearly 300 yards in the rematch of the Trojans' 66-20 season-opening win over the Chiefs in August.
Morson found the end zone for the first time with just over a minute to play in the first quarter, and added a second score only seconds later, after Denton Ray recovered a fumbled kickoff.
Morson struck pay dirt a third time from 40 yards out and added touchdown number four after Gage Palmer picked off a Chiefs' pass with more than four minutes before halftime. His fifth score came on the next drive and gave the Trojans a 54-20 halftime lead.
Morson finished his ground assault on the Chiefs' defense with a sixth score early in the second half that give the Trojans a 60-20 lead in the third quarter.
Running backs Palmer and J.T. McDaniel, and quarterback Hayes Hopkins, all added Trojans touchdowns in the lopsided win, with McDaniel breaking for a long rushing score late in the game and Palmer scoring the game's first touchdown after taking a short pass from Hopkins 60 yards to the house.
Hopkins' touchdown run would come off a 53-yard quarterback keeper in the first quarter.
McDaniel also added six 2-point conversions on the ground and found Cade Morgan through the air for another conversion.
Defensively, Tallulah head coach Bart Wood said the unit was shaky early in the game, but came alive after adjustments were made.
"We played a little sloppy," Wood said. "Defense was just not making their reads. They're just not picking up their keys. I had to change the defense so it wasn't as much reads. It was just kind of smash-mouth football and line up. We struggled until I changed the defense."
With the win, the Trojans will move on to Round 2 of the MAIS 8-Man 1A playoffs next week on the road versus Lee Academy in Arkansas.
"I do like our match up," Wood said. "We match up good with them. They like to run the ball up the middle and stuff and I think we match up with that. We can defend that. And I think we've got enough speed to get the edge on them. I'm looking forward to it, and even though we're the lower seed, we have the opportunity."
For the complete story from Friday's Round 1 win, including more stats and photos, pick up a copy of the Thurs., Nov. 2, edition of the Madison Journal.
