By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PICAYUNE — Last week, George County snapped a 17-year drought with its first win in the state playoffs since 2007.

Next year, the Rebels will go into a new season with yet an even longer deficiency to solve.

Perennial state power Picayune overcame a 21-7 first half drought with 35 unanswered points from late in the second quarter through late in the third period to pull out a 63-40 win over visiting GCHS Friday night in the Class 6A South State semifinals.

The win at Lee-Triplett Stadium earns the Maroon Tide its fourth straight trip to the South State championship game next week when Picayune will host Hattiesburg.

Picayune moves to 11-2 on the season, while George County’s season ends at a sub-par 7-6. The Rebels have lost seven straight games to Picayune, and GCHS hasn’t won a game in Picayune since 1999.

“We had to come out and show MTXE (Mental Toughness Extra Effort),” Picayune head coach Cody Stogner said. “We told our kids that we had been in this situation before and George County hadn’t. And man, did our guys respond. I couldn’t be any more proud of these players.”

Trailing 21-14 at halftime, Picayune exploded for 28 straight points in the third quarter alone to take command of the contest and keep its hopes alive of a third state championship in the past four years.

Taking the third quarter kickoff, Picayune moved quickly to cut the deficit to one point when Brandon Parker found Ian Herring on a 23-yard scoring strike to make it 21-20.

The play was set up thanks to a 46-yard run by Darrell Smith to the GCHS 22 yard-line.

After a short punt out of their own end zone from the Rebels on their ensuing possession, Picayune was back in action again as Triston Cooper scored on a 7-yard scamper and with Smith’s two point conversion run the Maroon Tide took their first lead of the game at 28-21 just three minutes into the second half.

It would be a lead the Maroon Tide would never relinquish.

Picayune was just getting started with its third period barrage, as Rebel quarterback Deuce Knight fumbled on the next play and that eventually resulted in a 15-yard touchdown run from Smith that made it 35-21.

Knight once again fumbled on the next GCHS drive, and Smith took a pitch on the next play and tossed an 18-yard touchdown toss and it was 42-14 with 1:02 left in the quarter.

Knight responded with a 12-yard touchdown run one minute later in what amounted to one last gasp from the suddenly sinking Rebels in the waves of the powerful Tide .

But Smith’s 10-yard scoring run early in the fourth period basically ended any hopes for the Rebels and it was 49-28 with 11 minutes to play.

Cooper added a pair of touchdown runs down the stretch for Picayune, and Knight added a scoring run and a scoring pass and Gautier ended the scoring with a short run to wrap up the 103 point total count.

The teams traded blows for the most part in the first half but two quick turnovers by the Maroon Tide to start the game left the Rebels ahead 21-14 at halftime.

Both of those miscues by Picayune came in the form of fumbles from Smith. On the first offensive play from scrimmage for the the tide, Smith lost control of the ball and GCHS recovered at the Picayune 27.

Four plays later, Knight dashed into the end zone from 2-yards out to put the Rebels up 6-0 after a botched extra point less than two minutes in.

On the ensuing Picayune possession, Smith again dropped the ball and GCHS recovered at the Maroon Tide 48.

Eight plays later Knight again rolled to pay dirt this time from 6-yards out and he also added the two-point conversion to put the visitor up 14-0 late in the first period.

Smith atoned for his fumbles on Picayune’s next possession, as he raced 36-yards for a score to cut the deficit to 14-7 early in the second stanza.

George County countered on its ensuing possession with a 4-yard scoring run from running back Branden Gautier and suddenly Picayune was down 21-7 with less than four minutes left in the first half.

But the Maroon Tide were able to close the deficit to seven points when Triston Cooper plunged in for a 6-yard touchdown run to make it 21-14 entering the second half.

“We gave them two touchdowns early and I told our team at halftime if we wanted it we had to go take it,” Stogner added. “And that’s exactly what they did.”

Smith finished with over 240 yards rushing in the win.