The Brookhaven Cougars completed a perfect 15-0 season Friday night with a dominating 63-28 win over the Lamar Raiders to capture the AA State Championship at Millsaps College in Jackson. In what was billed as a title game between the two top scoring teams in MAIS football Brookhaven rolled up 640 yards on the night to Lamar’s 368.
(Above) The Brookhaven Cougars, 2009 AA State Champions
The first five minutes of the opening quarter surprisingly produced three punts as both squads appeared tight. Lamar picked up the initial first down of the game on their second possession but couldn’t move beyond their own 25 yard line. The Raider’s Bo Bidgood boomed a 69 yard punt that pinned the Cougars back at their 6 yard line with 6:59 left in the opening quarter. Brookhaven tailback Jennings Mills scurried through the Lamar defense for a quick 23 yard gain on 1st down to the 29 yard line. Chandler Rogers completed his first pass three plays later when he connected with Bubba Keene for a 21 yard gain to the Lamar 37 yard line. Following six consecutive running plays Jennings Mills finished the 94 yard, 11 play drive with a 2 yard touchdown run with 2:36 left in the first quarter. Mills then converted on a two point attempt to put Brookhaven on top 8-0.
Lamar started their third possession of the quarter at the Brookhaven 49 yard line following an unsuccessful on-sides kick by the Cougars. Witt Haggard’s 15 yard keeper moved the Raiders to the Brookhaven 34 for a first down, but after two incomplete pass attempts Haggard dropped to pass on a 3rd and 10 and was forced to scramble to his right and Haggard’s pass attempt was picked off by linebacker Alan Michael Allred at the Brookhaven 27 yard line for the game’s first turnover.
Brookhaven quickly cashed in on the interception. Facing a 3rd and 15 from their own 23 yard line Chandler Rogers hit Jennings Mills across the middle and Mills raced 77 yards for the Cougar’s second score of the quarter. Tyler Trout added the PAT and with 44 seconds remaining in the first quarter Brookhaven held a 15-0 advantage.
(Above) The Brookhaven offensive line providing protection for Chandler Rogers
Lamar was held scoreless in the opening quarter but just barely. On the first play to start the second quarter Witt Haggard connected with Bo Bidgood with a 72 yard touchdown strike. Haggard then ran in for the two point conversion to trim the deficit to 15-8 with 11:48 remaining.
That seven point deficit would be short-lived as Brookhaven only needed 1:46 to increase the lead to 22-8. Chandler Rogers hooked up with Bubba Keene for a 44 yard touchdown pass and catch that culminated a four play 81 yard drive.
Lamar answered right back as they appeared to have gotten a rythym going offensively. The Raiders produced an 80 yard, 11 play drive that featured two 4th down conversions and was capped off when junior wide-out Charlie Nosco went up in the middle of three Brookhaven defenders and pulled down a Witt Haggard pass in the end-zone for a touchdown at the 6:47 mark of the quarter. Lamar’s two point attempt was broken up by defensive back Jeff Rushing with the score 22-14 Brookhaven.
Lamar had no answer for the Brookhaven offense. The Cougar’s covered an on-sides kick attempt by Lamar at their own 48 yard line and then marched 52 yards in 8 plays to increase the lead to 28-14. Chandler Rogers hit Tripp Jolly with a 15 yard touchdown pass for the score. Tyler Trout added the PAT to build the lead to 29-14 with 2:08 remaining in the half.
Brookhaven added two more scores before the first half ended. The Cougar defense forced Lamar into a 4th and 9 situation at the Raider 48 yard line. A Haggard pass intended for Charlie Nosco was broken up by Alan Michael Allred that turned the ball over on downs. Brookhaven hit pay-dirt again when Rogers found Bubba Keene over the middle for a 14 yard touchdown with 23 seconds remaining in the half to push the lead to 35-14. The two point attempt failed.
The Cougars capitalized on another scoring opportunity when Lamar mishandled the ensuing kick-off and Jeff Rushing recovered at the Lamar 23 yard line. Chandler Rogers scrambled for 9 yards on first down and with 3 seconds left in the first half Tyler Trout hit a 31 yard FG to give Brookhaven a 38-14 halftime cushion.
(Above) Lamar quarterback Witt Haggard being stopped by Brookhaven's Clint Stewart
Lamar’s defense halted a Brookhaven drive to start the third quarter and the Raiders climbed backed into the game when Witt Haggard scored on a three yard run around the right side at the 7:27 mark of the quarter. The Raiders went 87 yards in eight plays on the drive. Haggard then connected with Bo Bidgood on the two point conversion to pull to within 16 points at 38-22.
Lamar would get no closer. Brookhaven needed only three plays to build the lead back to 46-22. On 2nd and 14 from the Cougar 23 yard line Tripp Jolly found the end-zone for the second time when he hauled in a perfectly thrown Rogers sideline pass that covered 77 yards. Jennings Mills added a successful two point conversion and the Cougars were up 46-22 with 6:33 left in the third quarter.
The final score for Lamar came on the following possession when Witt Haggard hit Bo Bidgood with a five yard touchdown pass to complete an 80 yard drive that took just 1:20 off the clock. The Raider’s two point attempt failed and with 5:06 left in the third quarter it was a 46-28 game.
Tyler Trout added his second field goal on the night when he hit a 27 yarder with 2:13 left in the third quarter. The kick increased the Cougar lead to 49-28.
The Brookhaven defense all but closed the door on Lamar the remainder of the game. Lamar’s last possession of the third quarter was disrupted by a Will Gatlin sack and a Jeff Rushing interception at the Brookhaven 26 yard line as the quarter ended with Brookhaven enjoying a 49-28 lead.
Brookhaven scored twice in the final quarter. Bubba Keene ran in from 9 yards out with 7:10 left. Tyler Trout’s PAT made it 56-28.
The final score of the contest came at the 2:07 mark when Jennings Mills scored from 1 yard out to cap a 43 yard, 6 play drive that ate up nearly four minutes.
(Above) Brookhaven tailback Jennings Mills rushed for 144 yards and 2 tds
Brookhaven won its’ first state title in football since 1993 and the coach then was Herbert Davis.
“Our whole team did a great job. I thought our defense played outstanding tonight and our offense found a way to put the ball in the end-zone. This was one of our best defensive games all year long,” said Davis. “Our offense starts with Chandler, he’s the trigger guy but he has a lot of help. We’ve had kids grow up this year and become men and become a football team. We were a bunch of individuals that didn’t know what direction we wanted to go but our senior leaders stepped up. We won some games early this season and got on a roll and it’s been a dream.”
“The last three or four games we’ve averaged over 200 yards rushing,” said Davis. "We’re actually a very balanced offensive team which not many realize because we run a spread offense. Our offensive line has done a great job and Jennings Mills and Chandler Rogers have been effective in taking what the defenses have been giving on the ground. Tonight we mixed our plays up well.”
Both Chandler Rogers and Jennings Mills went over the 100 yard rushing mark against Lamar. Mills rushed for 144 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns while Rogers had 139 yards on 18 carries to his credit.
“Chandler went over 1,000 yards rushing tonight,” said Davis. "That’s 3,000 passing and 1,000 rushing, there aren’t too many of those guys out there.”
In containing Lamar quarterback Witt Haggard Davis said, “Our kids did a great job of preparing all week and understanding what we needed to do to try and give him some different looks.”
Chandler Rogers finished up his junior season with a title game performance worthy of much praise. Rogers was 15/24 for 353 yards and 5 touchdowns passing and rushed for 139 yards.
“Right now I really don’t know what to feel,” said Rogers. “It hasn’t sunk in yet but we knew coming in that Lamar had one of the best teams in the state and it was fun to compete against another high powered offense. I didn’t expect the score to be like this but it was fun.”
When asked if the confidence level was still high during the week after the injuries to receivers Bubba Keene and Tripp Jolly, Rogers said, “Yes sir, this week during practice they really fought through the injuries and they told me they would be 100% so I trusted them.”
Both Keene and Jolly put up big numbers in the title game. Keene had 6 receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns while Jolly overcame last week’s concussion to produce 116 yards on 5 catches and two touchdowns.
Junior kicker Tyler Trout was perfect on the night. Trout was 8/8 in PAT’s and nailed both FG attempts.
Sophomore linebacker Jeff Rushing led the Cougar defense with 14 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery, and senior linebacker Jamison Powell had 10 tackles.
(Above) Brookhaven defensive lineman Will Gatlin (#62) reflecting atfter the game
Lamar quarterback Witt Haggard finished with 72 yards rushing on 15 carries and a touchdown. The senior was 12/33 for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns passing. Fellow senior Bo Bidgood had a stellar last game for the Raiders. The wide-out had 7 receptions for 191 yards and two touchdowns.
Lamar finished the season with a 12-2 mark.
