By TK EDWARDS/Sports Correspondent

VANCLEAVE — For the second straight season, an underdog East Central team found a way to come out on top over arch-rival Vancleave in the annual Singing River Bowl.
And this year’s win may have been even more unlikely than the last.
With a trip to the upcoming Class 5A South State playoffs within reach for the Bulldogs, the visiting Hornets overcame a 14-0 first half deficit and pulled out an exciting 27-24 win Friday night in Region 4-5A play. The win was the first of the season in league action for ECHS, which moves to 2-7 overall and 1-3 in the loop.

Meanwhile, Vancleave’s chances at making the playoffs for a fourth straight season took a severe hit, as the Bulldogs drop to 3-6 overall and 1-3 as well in the region race as VHS lost its third straight game.
Vancleave quarterback Wyatt Adams would open the scoring at the 3:25 mark of the first period when took off up the middle untouched and raced 39 yards for a touchdown. 
Just over six minutes later, Adams would connect with running back Kyle Capers on a swing pass out of the backfield, and he’d sprint 65 yards for a score to make it 14-0 with 09:12 to go before halftime.
East Central began its comeback through the air on a 38 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Maddox Dunn to Aaron Myrick with 06:21 to go before the half to cut the deficit in half at 14-7.
Then, with a mere 0:21 seconds before the halftime break, Dunn would send the two teams into intermission all knotted up on a 1-yard keeper.

Drawing near the end of a mostly uneventful third quarter, East Central got what seemed to be a walk in touchdown wiped of the board when the Hornet receiver fumbled out the back of the end zone resulting in a touch back with 03:32 remaining in the third quarter. 
The Hornets would atone for that miscue, though, with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Dunn to Bryson Smith with 1:10 to go in the third to take their first lead of the game at 21-14.
Vancleave answered as Jordyn Raynor hit a 24-yard FG to cut the East Central lead to 21-17 with 09:39 to go in the game.

The Hornets ran five minutes and change off the waning minutes of the game down to 04:25 remaining and capped its drive with a short touchdown jaunt by Trevor Wall to extend the ECHS lead to double digits at 27-17 with just over five minutes to play.
Vancleave would respond with a 14-yard touchdown run by Capers with 01:18 to go, but the Hornets hands team recovered the ensuing onside kick off and East Central ran the last few seconds out in victory formation.

Last season, in a similar situation, ECHS pulled out a 28-26 win at home over VHS.