Carroll Academy’s relentless offense did what it has done all season — pound teams in the first half and score points in the second half.
The Rebels used that same formula on Friday night as they beat Sylva-Bay 32-6 to advance to the Class 3A semifinals.
The Rebels improve to 10-2 on the season and will now face top-seeded Greenville St. Joseph in the semifinals.
On Friday night, the Rebels went on the road and came away with another playoff win.
“It was another good game from the whole team,” Carroll Coach Bo Milton said. “We sort of did what have done the whole year. We kept on running out stuff and eventually got some turnovers in the second half and Morgan (Mims) broke some long runs.”
The Rebels got the ball to start the game and moved 62 yards in just four plays. Morgan Mims hit Logan Taylor on a 33-yard game and then completed a 23-yard pass to Taylor for a touchdown. The try for two failed and Carroll led 6-0.
Sylva-Bay answered with an eight-play, 50-yard drive and scored on a 1-yard run. The try for two failed as Sylva-Bay tied the game at 6-6.
The Rebels took the ensuing kick and marched down the field, going 68 yards in eight plays. Mims hit Reese Fulton on a 9-yard touchdown pass as the Rebels took a 12-6 lead, a lead that lasted until halftime.
“I thought our defense bowed up the entire game,” Milton said. “We were probably a little too jacked up that first drive. We settled down and played really good from the first quarter on.”
Sylva-Bay got the ball to start the second half and went three and out. Carroll then went 97 yards in 14 plays as John Marc O’Cain scored on a 12-yard run. Hunter Grantham booted the PAT and Carroll led 19-6.
The Rebels got the ball right back on an interception by Fulton. Mims scored on a 43-yard run and Grantham booted the PAT as Carroll led 26-6.
The Rebels got the ball right back as they recovered a pooch kick at the Sylva-Bay 37. Maddox Carpenter capped off the drive with a 14-yard run as the Rebels led 32-6.
“Offensively, I thought we were very good,” Milton said. “We were able to hit some passes and run the ball good the entire game. When we can hit some passes, it really opens up some things on offense for us.”
The Rebels had 308 yards rushing and 69 passing for 377 yards of offense. Mims led the way with 174 yards on 13 carries, giving him 1,925 yards on 167 carries on the season. O’Cain had a season-high 51 yards on nine carries while Lofton Holly had 60 yards on 13 carries.
The Rebels will get their shot at Class 3A’s top-seeded team when they head down Hwy. 82 to take on Greenville St. Joseph.
“They are good, no doubt,” Milton said. “You get two Division-I athletes in the same backfield and that’s pretty special. They may win a lot of games, but everybody is beatable. I think we have to have the mindset and mental thought to go in there and give them a game. I think our mindset will be that Central Holmes had a chance to beat them with eight minutes left.”
The Irish are averaging 335 yards a game rushing and 123 passing for 458 yards of total offense a game.
