The Simpson Academy Cougars won their final regular season game against the East Rankin Academy Patriots 47-14. The Cougars end their season on a five game winning streak, finishing with a 7-3 overall record and coming in second in their district behind Leake Academy.
The Cougars continue to be led by junior running back Carter Cockrell whose leadership was on full display Friday as he scored the first touchdown in route to a blowout victory. The Cougars jumped out to a 7-0 lead and played well defensively during the Patriots’ opening drive, forcing a turnover on downs. The Patriots were able to advance the ball past midfield before being stonewalled by the Cougars.
QB Brentley Berry led the offense back onto the field and connected on a deep shot downfield to Sawyer Dunn for a 64 yard gain. Dunn was tripped up at the 1 yard line and the drive was capped with a 1 yard touchdown from Berry on a quarterback sneak.
Leading 14-0, the Cougar defense maintained their intensity and set the tone at the line of scrimmage. The defensive tackles got a big push up front and constantly harassed the opposing quarterback. The defense forced a turnover, thanks to junior linebacker Tyler Stanford, who made a good break on a bad thrown ball for an interception.
Offensively the Cougars were met with little resistance, and Cockrell scored four plays later following the interception increasing the lead to 21-0. For the fourth week in a row the Cougars dominated their opponents and led 40-8 at halftime. The final score was 47-14 in another blowout victory.
The Cougars have had superior talent in their last four contests scoring at least 42 points in each game, and not being tested much by the opposition. However ending the season on a high note gives the team much needed momentum as they head into the first round of the MAIS Playoff. The Cougars will face the St. Joseph Catholic Bruins in the first round. The Bruins were the last team to give the Cougars a competitive game. The Cougars defeated the Bruins 28-21 for a narrow victory in September. It is a familiar opponent for the Cougars and they are prepared for a tough game this Friday at home as they look to advance in the playoffs.
