By BY Bruce Hixon
Sports Editor
Their offense did not get many chances to be efficient, but it came through when the Brewton Middle School Tigers football team needed it the most.
BMS (3-0) overcame a 17-minute stretch where it ran just three offensive plays, as it rallied to nip the visiting Monroe County Tigers 8-6 Thursday.
Monroe County's game plan of keep away resulted in a 44-18 edge in total plays run and a whopping 26:06 to 5:54 edge in time of possession.
The one exception to that statement came in the second quarter when Monroe County strung together an 11-play, six-minute, 62-yard drive. Brewton appeared it would stop the visiting Tigers on a fourth-and-goal from the six-yard line when Brewton defender Trae Williams deflected a pass from Brandon Stallworth into the arms of receiver Devonte Armstrong for a touchdown with 17 seconds left in the first half.
Monroe County came up empty on a two-point conversion attempt. That not only left the score at 6-0, but turned out to be the decisive margin in the game.
The Brewton offense finally got a chance to show what it could do on its opening series of the third quarter when the host Tigers strung together a six-paly, 53-yard drive.
Quarterback Wil Riggs began the drive with a 17-yard pass to James Matthews and ended it with a one-yard plunge. Running back Jaren Jackson picked up 30 of his team high 48 yards rushing with runs of 10, 12, three and six in between. It was also Jackson who ran in the two-point conversion that put Brewton up 8-6 with 3:16 left in the third quarter.
Brewton's defense came up with a big defensive stand late in the game. Monroe County ate up eight and a half minutes over 15 plays, as it drove from its own 42 to the Brewton 12. The drive ran out of steam when Stallworth had to fall on a fumble for a four-yard loss, Marque Riley was stopped for a four-yard loss and Nolan Wiggins was tackled for yet another four-yard loss on fourth down after he was unable to get off a halfback option pass.
Brewton will be back in action this Thursday when it hosts Flomaton at 6 p.m.