By Stan Caldwell/Sports Writer

RICHTON — B.J. Brown doesn’t have a high profile among running backs in Mississippi, but if he keeps playing like he did against Resurrection Friday night, that could change.

The compact senior for the Rebels gashed the Eagles for three big running plays that led Richton to a 28-7 victory over RCS in the Region 8-1A opener for both teams. Richton improved to 4-2 overall, while Resurrection dropped to 1-5.

Brown ran just 11 times, but finished with 205 yards on the ground and scored three touchdowns. At 5-foot-7, 160 pounds, Brown runs low to the ground and he has breakaway speed.

“He’s a threat every time he touches the ball,” said Richton coach Andrew Roberts. “At any given time, he can take it to the house, and he can make something out of a busted play real quick. That makes him extra-special.”

For the Eagles it was simply a matter of attrition. After graduating two large senior groups (by 1A standards) the past two seasons, veteran head coach Eric Denmark is working with a roster numbering under 20.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these kids,” said Denmark. “We’ve got 16 kids on the team, and really only 12 that play. So you’ve got 12 kids who never leave the field. I mean, they’re warriors.

“So we’re pleased with the effort. We lost two really good senior classes, but with the eighth-graders we’ve got coming up next year, it will help us get our numbers back up.”

Roberts was happy with the victory, but not with all aspects of his team’s execution.

“I thought we played hard, but we need to clean up a few things,” said Roberts. “I’m not satisfied with how we executed tonight. We anticipate everybody showing up Monday ready to get after it, even though it’s the beginning of fall break. It’s week-by-week now.”

Part of his displeasure was over Resurrection’s second possession of the game, after both teams lost big yards on high snaps to thwart their first series on offense.

The Eagles converted three third downs on a seven-minute long scoring drive that covered 75 yards on 14 plays, including the touchdown on a 1-yard run by senior quarterback Sully May.

After losing 13 yards on the opening snap of the game on a high snap, May – who started the season as the third-string quarterback – finished with a respectable 70 yards rushing on 21 carries.

“After watching film on them last week, we saw they got beat between the tackles,” said May. “We thought we could go out there and block down, find a crease, and open it up a little bit. It worked here and there, but then we missed a block or two and couldn’t sustain it.”

That would prove to be the lion’s share of the offense for RCS, as the Rebels adjusted and took away the middle of the field. Resurrection finished with a net of just 164 yards of offense

“If we have everybody healthy, and we’ve got five starters out for the year with injuries,” said Denmark. “You put those kids in the equation, we might be 3-1, 4-1. Because we’ve been getting that kind of play in the first half, and we just run out of steam.”

It took Richton all of 23 seconds to answer the Eagles’ score.

Brown took the ensuing kickoff 77 yards for an apparent touchdown, only to have the score nullified for a block in the back at the 40-yard line.

No matter. Brown took the next snap around right end and outraced the pursuit for a 50-yard touchdown run, and he added the run on the conversion to give the Rebels the lead for good, at 8-7.

“My goal right from the start was to return it all the way,” said Brown. “We had the flag on the kickoff, so I had it in my mind that I had to score. And that’s what I did.”

A special teams miscue gave the Rebels a very short field on the next possession after the touchdown.

Following a three-and-out, the snap on the punt attempt went over the head of senior punter William Wright, and his attempt to salvage a kick out of the play was blocked, with Richton recovering at the 15-yard line.

On third-and-1 from the Eagle 6, senior quarterback Daylin Carter carried the ball around right tackle for the touchdown. Senior Tykil Hinton ran the conversion to give the Rebels a 16-7 lead.

The only turnover of the game gave Resurrection a chance to get back in the game at the beginning of the second half, when the opening kickoff bounced off a Richton player and was recovered by the Eagles at their own 36-yard line.

“It’s my last year of playing,” said May. “We had a really bad second game, where we lost both of our other quarterbacks, so I got put out there. We’ve just got to work with what we’ve got.”

RCS used up almost six minutes off the clock, and drove as far as the Rebel 6. May had a big 21-yard carry, and sophomore Bryce Crossley had a 19-yard scamper to the Richton 15.

The Eagles were lined up to go for it on fourth-and-1, but a false start moved them back 5 yards, and Wright’s 27-yard field goal attempt was wide right. Resurrection would not get closer than the Richton 42 the rest of the game.

“It’s very hard for the defense, because we don’t get to scrimmage against each other in practice,” said Denmark. “As a matter of fact, I’m the 3-technique and my other coaches are doing the same, so they’re not getting any tackling in practice, and that hurts us.”

Richton was stopped on it ensuing possession after driving as far the Eagle 15 before being pushed back. But there was no stopping Brown in the fourth quarter.

Acter getting the ball right back on a punt, Brown took the first snap of the series 54 yards around the right edge, then added the killing touchdown on a 5-yard run.

Brown then capped his night with a 51-yard touchdown run, after the Rebels stopped RCS near midfield.

Resurrection will be back on the road next week to face Taylorsville in another region clash, while Richton will be home again next Friday hosting Lumberton.

“I’m not upset with this outcome,” said Denmark. “I’m proud of the way they keep fighting. We’re just going to take one game at a time, and as long as they want to keep playing, we’re going to keep playing.”