GRENADA, Miss. — Even with six new starters on each side of the ball, Grenada didn’t appear to lose a step from last season’s 6A state championship team.
Returning starter Brayden Trusty threw for three touchdown passes and rushed for another, and Grenada started its championship reign with a 42-6 win over Pine Bluff High School on Friday night at Charger Stadium.
Trusty completed 11 of 14 passes for 192 yards, throwing touchdown passes to Zayion Cotton (26 yards), Drew Klinck (33 yards) and Andrew Fair (10 yards). The pass to Fair was Trusty’s only attempt of the second half.
“It was pretty good getting into a groove,” Trusty said. “I feel like we showed a couple of glimpses of what we can be.”
Grenada led 35-0 at halftime, taking advantage of two Pine Bluff turnovers — a fumble on a Zebra completion and an interception, both in the second quarter.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“Grenada showed me they’re a championship team, just like they won it last year,” Pine Bluff coach Micheal Williams said. “I knew it was going to be a tough game.”
Pine Bluff finished with 127 total yards, accounting for minus-56 yards on offense (minus-32 as a result of bad snaps). Sophomore Jamar Morrow was 8 for 20 for 139 yards with the interception in the first half, but after starting the second half 2 for 5 for 7 yards, he completed his last four throws for 47 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown toss to classmate Rashawn Reed.
“He did get into a groove; that’s why I’m proud of him,” Williams said. “Sophomore kid, first time on the varsity team playing. Actually, he didn’t do so bad the first half; (just) a couple of drops on a wheel route (from passes by) a sophomore quarterback.”
The Chargers charged out of the gate, much like they did in their previous meeting with the Zebras two years ago (a 30-7 Grenada win) — only this time the home team started on offense. Trusty put Grenada on the board with a 12-yard run to finish a 5-play, 65-yard series.
Grenada punted and turned the ball over on downs on its next two drives before sophomore Braylon Hardiman scored on a 6-yard reverse with 9:43 left before halftime. Grenada’s Javontae Williams stripped the ball from Pine Bluff on the next drive, and three plays later Trusty threw his first touchdown pass to Cotton, the 6-foot-5 senior.
The lead was extended to 28-0 after junior Malik Taylor ran 67 yards on a 1-play drive with 4:45 left before the break. Senior Jereon Reed intercepted Morrow on the Zebras’ next offensive play, and Grenada went 55 yards on 8 plays, finishing with Klinck’s catch on a post route with 1:57 left.
“We’ve got to stop busting plays,” Williams said of his defense. “It wasn’t exactly the defense itself. We’ve got to stop busting plays. The offense has to help the defense by keeping them off the field, but ultimately we busted a lot of plays and a lot of coverages.”
The Chargers totaled 10 first downs in a game that finished in 1 hour, 57 minutes, due to the mercy rule (running clock after 35-point margin).
“I thought we executed really well against a really athletic team like Pine Bluff,” Grenada coach Michael Fair said. “We were really happy to have a great atmosphere tonight. I was proud of the effort our guys had.”
The season opener was Breast Cancer Awareness night for Grenada.
Pine Bluff will return to action Sept. 6 at Dallas’ Kincade Stadium against Dallas Kimball.
