MABEN — Justin Williams knows how to spoil a party.
The senior quarterback rushed for 325 yards and three touchdowns Friday night to power the East Oktibbeha County High School football team past West Oktibbeha County High 20-18 in a Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 1A, Region 3 game.
The victory was East Oktibbeha’s first of the season. It also spoiled Wes Oktibbeha’s Homecoming and snapped a six-game losing streak in the series between the county rivals.
“It’s a great feeling to finally beat these guys,” East Oktibbeha first-year coach John Davis said. “The game was more important any other on our schedule, and it feels great to come away with a win.”
Neither school is eligible for postseason play thanks to a three-year ban from the MHSAA. Thus, pride was the main motivational factor between the two previously-winless rivals.
“We been wanting this win for a long time,” Williams said. “I am a senior, so I knew this was my last time to play West. I really had to step it up and have a good game.”
East Oktibbeha (1-4, 1-4 region) dominated the first half and led 6-0 at halftime. Williams scored on runs of 4, 13, and 1 yard and also had the only successful two-point conversion in six combined tries by the teams.
When Williams scored early in the fourth quarter and kept for the conversion, the Titans led 20-12.
“Everything starts in the weight room,” Williams said. “We always do extra running and all that during, before, and after practice. This was week was extra special for us because it was a big rivalry game.”
Davis expected that type of leadership from Williams, who scored his first three touchdowns of the season. The long-term future of both schools is uncertain since the school district is under conservatorship. Realistically, this could be one of the schools’ final meetings on a football field.
“Justin is a man-child,” Davis said. “He carried this team offensively and defensively. We talked all week about this rivalry and what it means to the two schools. As a senior, Justin knows because he has played in these games.”
Williams’ biggest run came out of shotgun formation midway through the third quarter with a tied score. With his team on its 48-yard line, Williams reeled off a 40-yard run to move the ball into the red zone. He eventually punched it in from 13 yards for a 12-6 lead.
“The right side of their defense was very weak and uncoordinated,” said Williams, who led his team with 20 tackles and has 77 stops through five games. “My offensive line had some excellent blocks and we came out with the win.”
West Oktibbeha (0-5, 0-5) put things together in the second half. The Timberwolves pulled within two points with less than six minutes remaining when Justin Jones hit Charles Mullins for a 30-yard touchdown pass. The Titans stood tall and got a critical pass deflection on the two-point try.
East Oktibbeha went back on offense and Williams gained three first downs to run out the clock.
“We fought hard the whole time,” Davis said. “(West Oktibbeha) coach (Danny) Crawford has a good bunch of kids. He is going through some of the struggles we are. It is good to see the kids finally see all of this hard work put in pay off.
“None of this has been easy. You have to be really committed. But everybody has worked hard the whole season and nobody has gotten down. It is good to see that work get rewarded.”
Jones had a rushing score to go with his passing score. Zane Watson also had a 5-yard touchdown run for the Timberwolves.
“I am proud of the effort,” Crawford said. “We have two seniors and three juniors. We really grew up a team this week. I think we learned a lot tonight that will help us the rest of the season.”
West Oktibbeha will play host to Pelahatchie on Friday night, while Williams and the Titans will celebrate Homecoming against West Lowndes.
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