By TK EDWARDS/Sports Correspondent

HURLEY — The old adage that you can throw the records out the window in a rivalry game proved to be true Friday night at Shirley Stadium as East Central topped heavily favored and longtime rival Vancleave 28-26 in the annual Pascagoula River Bowl.
The almost shocking outcome throws the final three spots behind Gautier in the Region 4-5A chase for the state playoffs into disarray as the Hornets picked up their first region win of the year and just their second over the past two seasons. The Bulldogs seem to have an easy path to hosting an opening round game in the upcoming Class 5A South State playoffs coming into the game but no all of that is up in the air.

East Central quarterback Taye Guyton ran 48 yards for a touchdown. to give the home-standing Hornets a quick lead and put the visitors on notice.
Vancleave would tie the game late in the second quarter with 04:17 to go with a one yard Kyle Capers scoring run.
Vancleave took the opening possession of the third quarter right down the field and capped it off with a 5-yard Capers touchdown run.
The Hornets answered quickly with an 8-yard Guyton scoring dash with 07:16 left in the third to tie the game at 14-14.

East Central would take a 21-14 lead on a 49-yard scoring scamper by Guyton with 18 seconds to go in the third frame.
Vancleave would cut the lead to one after a 27-yard Kyle Capers scoring run, but a blocked point-after with 11:17 to go in the fourth period.
Then, the Bulldogs rallied with a fourth and nine with a 26-yard pass from Wyatt Adams to Daylan Moore to the ECHS one yard line. The drive ended with Vancleave’s final touchdown with 05:06 to go on another Capers TD rush, this one from five yards out. The conversion pass from Adams to Junior Harris on the out route would fall incomplete, leaving the door open for the Hornets.

East Central would take advantage and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 10-yard Guyton scoring run with :34 seconds remaining in the game. The fourth of Aaron Myrick’s four point-after kicks of the night set the final score at 28-26.
East Central ran 38 plays, all on the ground, for 326 total yards. Vancleave leads the all time series 33-31.