Picayune grinds down George County, 49-21, in first round playoff win
Cold, quick and dominant: a typical mid-November Friday night in Picayune. The Maroon Tide rolled George County in the opening round of the Class 6A Mississippi high school football playoffs, 49-21, and extend their streak of seasons with a playoff win to six. Five different Picayune players found the end zone, led by Xavier Dennis and his three total touchdowns. “That was a good football team we just competed with 48 minutes, and they didn’t lay down,” Picayune coach Cody Stogner said after the game. “We fought hard. We fought hard from the moment we kicked the ball off and all the way to the end.” Picayune built a 21-0 lead by halftime off the back of two Dennis touchdown runs and a 25-yard scoring catch by the senior. But George County made its push early in the third quarter where Rebels quarterback Maddox Dunn scored the first two of his three rushing touchdowns. Picayune responded in kind with another spurt of three unanswered scores. “We say that bad stuff is going to happen, and it’s all about how you respond to it,” Picayune quarterback Gabe Brewer said. “I think we responded great. Our confidence never wavered.” Kendall Jett, Jamari
