By MAURICE SINGLETON/Sports Writer

PASS CHRISTIAN — Pass High (5-4, 2-2, district) rallied behind a balanced offensive attack and two interceptions – one a pick 6 – on the way to a 49-35 win over Bay High (2-8, 1-3, district). The win gives the Pirates the third spot in Region 8-4A as they will in all likelihood travel next Friday to take on Mendenhall in the first round of the playoffs.

Pass capitalized on two second quarter interceptions to hold off the Tigers. The first interception was a 65-yard Matthew Daniely pick-6 with 2:12 remaining before halftime. The touchdown was the third of the quarter for the Pirates, and Jacquez Alexander took the direct snap and punched his way in for the 2-point conversion to close out the first half scoring at 35-14.

Daniely was a big part on another touchdown in the second quarter as Pirates’ quarterback Paris Trivillion connected with him for a 21-yard pass score to give the Pirates a 27-14 lead midway through the period.

The Tigers picked up a first down on the third snap of their ensuing possession, but on the very next snap, Tigers quarterback Zander Ladner was intercepted again, this time at the Pirates 45-yard line. With 29 ticks remaining before halftime, the Pirates decided to take a knee and let the clock expire.

“We had a week and a half of good practice to prepare for these guys,” said Pirates coach Jeff Stockstill. “I thought we executed pretty well. I knew they would do some things on offense to give our defense some trouble, but getting those two turnovers and the fake punt (we) were able to separate in the first half.

“I thought our guys kind of took the foot off the gas and allowed them to hang around,” said Stockstill about the Pirates’ play in the fourth quarter. “We’re going to have to clean that up if we want to make any kind of run in the playoffs.”

Bay High opened the second half with a 13-play drive going 76 yards as Ladner capped the drive with a 10-yard keeper for the touchdown. The Tigers trailed 35-21 after Mark Barralough’s third PAT kick of the night. The drive consumed almost 8 minutes of game clock.

The Tigers’ defense appeared to have been inspired also, as they forced a fourth down-and-8 after three snaps. But the Pirates went for it, and Trivillion completed a pass for 14 yards and a first down. On the very next play, he burst down the left side of the field for a 38-yard running touchdown. The Pirates led 42-21 after Jude Necaise’s fifth PAT kick of the night.

The Pirates would get their biggest lead of the night on their next possession as Trivillion connected with Alexander for an 87-yard pass play. The Pirates would lead 49-21 with just over eleven minutes remaining in the game.

Bay High would score twice in the fourth quarter as Ladner connected with Avery Harris for two touchdowns, the first a 26-yard scoring toss midway through the quarter. The second would come on the Tigers next possession as he found Harris from ten yards out to close the game’s scoring.

Alexander scored the Pirates first two touchdowns of the night, scoring from 8 yards out on their first possession and carrying 24 yards for the Pirates’ second score.

Jaylen Antoine scored the first two touchdowns for the Tigers on runs of 8 and three yards.

“It’s the story of our season; we can’t get past shooting ourselves in the foot,” said Tigers’ coach Jeremy Turcotte. “We had a dumb penalty there in the second half, unnecessary roughness. If we just play a clean game, the sky has been the limit.”