By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

LUCEDALE — For the second straight year, Biloxi kept George County from starting a season off at 3-0.
The Indians marched into Gill-Martin Stadium here and handed the hampered Rebels a 30-13 defeat Friday night leaving both teams at 2-1 on the current campaign.
The decision prevented George County from getting off to a 3-0 start for the first time in almost a decade, since 2015. The Rebels played much of the game without standout quarterback Deuce Knight, who was injured late in the first quarter and returned only briefly for three plays in the second stanza.
Knight’s replacement, the versatile Brenn Moody, was also injured just minutes after going behind center and also missed the rest of the contest as George County had four different quarterbacks take snaps in the first 15 minutes of the game.

Even so, George County trailed 10-6 at halftime but quickly responded to take the lead back.
The Indians gathered in the second half kickoff but fumbled the ball away three plays later. George County tailback Branden Gautier bulled his way into the end zone from two yards out just two minutes later, and the Rebels were up 13-10.
But the Indians quickly countered just past the mid-way mark of the third period when Wyatt Pyron hooked up with wide out Tristan Haynes on a 56-yard catch and run to return the lead to their side of the scoreboard at 16-13 after the two-point try failed.
And Biloxi wasn’t finished.

As the fourth quarter unfolded, the teams traded turnovers and the second Rebel miscue of the period turned into a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown by Biloxi’s Jalen Anderson that extended the Indians lead to double digits at 23-13 after Vinson’s extra point.
The Indians took a 10-6 halftime lead.
Pyron basically put the game away with a 3-yard keeper for a score four minutes later to result in the final count.
Trailing 6-0 entering the second period after Branden Gautier scored on a 5-yard run for the Rebels to open the scoring, Biloxi bounced back mid-way through the second period with a 32-yard touchdown run by Jaylan Johnson. Brodie Vinson’s point after kick made it 7-6 Indians.
Vinson then connected on a 26-yard field goal with just 14 seconds left in the first half to extend Biloxi’s lead to 10-6 at halftime.

George County’s first half touchdown was set up by a 76-yard kickoff return from Montrell Dortch on the opening kickoff.
Biloxi returns home to face Hattiesburg next week while George County remains at home to host Vancleave for homecoming.