By Jason Bowen, Jackson County Sentinel
WOODVILLE — Cedar Bluff used big plays to post a big region win.
The Tigers recorded 12 plays of 15 yards or more and scored on their first eight possessions during a 56-28 Class 1A, Region 7 win over host Woodville Thursday night at Frazier Field.
Cedar Bluff (2-4, 2-1) never had a goal-to-go situation in the game and its shortest touchdown covered 13 yards.
The Tigers had two rushers top the 100-yard mark. Nick Clifton ran for 167 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries and Jacob Burleson rushed for 113 yards and a score on seven carries. Burleson also completed 4-of-5 pass attempts for 86 yards and two touchdowns.
Clifton’s 19-yard touchdown run gave the Tigers a 6-0 lead less than four minutes into the game, but Woodville (2-5, 2-2) capped a 16-play, 8:32-minute, 81-yard drive with Jackson Peek’s 8-yard touchdown run and Peek’s two-point conversion pass to Brett Berger to grab an 8-6 lead after one quarter.
Cedar Bluff went back in front on Burleson’s 78-yard touchdown run with 9:25 left in the second quarter, and Burleson followed with touchdown passes of 35 and 15 yards to Preston Burt to give the Tigers a 28-8 halftime advantage.
Clifton raced 53 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second half, but Woodville answered with Peek’ 6-yard touchdown run to pull within 35-14. Shane Hughes then recovered Woodville’s second onside kick of the game, leading to Peek’s 51-yard touchdown pass to Cam Talley. Peek ran for the two-point conversion to pull Woodville to within 35-22 with 5:41 left in the third quarter.
But Cedar Bluff responded with 21-unanswered points, getting touchdown runs of 26 and 15 yards from Anbre Leek and Clifton respectively late in the third quarter and a 66-yard touchdown run from Burt early in the fourth quarter.
Woodville closed the scoring with Talley’s 15-yard touchdown run with 3:02 remaining.
Peek finished with 69 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries and was 12-of-25 passing for 166 yards and one score for Woodville, which fell to 0-13 all-time against Cedar Bluff. Talley had 40 rushing yards on 11 carries and caught five passes for 101 yards.
Cedar Bluff hosts Gaylesville next Friday.