By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
Sept. 25, 2004
HATTIESBURG Cordera Eason didn't waste any time announcing his return to the Meridian High School line-up against Hattiesburg High School on Friday night.
The junior running back, who hasn't played since Sept. 3, cut to his right and sprinted 55 yards down the field for a touchdown on his first carry of the game. The touchdown put Meridian High up 7-0 two minutes into the game.
The No. 8-ranked Wildcats (3-0-1) finished with a 49-7 win over the No. 11 Tigers (4-1) in the University of Southern Mississippi's M.M. Roberts Stadium.
Meridian High running back Derrick Davis continued to carry most of the rushing load, running the ball 18 times for 136 yards with two touchdowns.
Eason, whose return gave the Wildcats back their one-two running punch, carried the ball 12 times for 193 yards and two touchdowns.
The Wildcats finished with 531 offensive yards, with 478 yards coming on the ground and 53 through the air.
The Tigers were held to 159 yards, and they were limited to seven rushing yards in the first half. Hattiesburg running back Jonathan Kirksey, who had three 200-yard games entering the contest, was held to 40 yards.
Brodrick Coleman led Meridian High's defense with six tackles and a sack, and Wildcats cornerback Jamie Hill intercepted his third pass of the year, returning the ball 23 yards. Lamario Hopson notched two sacks, and Anouk Jackson picked up a sack.
Eason scored his second touchdown of the night with 38 seconds left in the first quarter.
On his third carry of the game, Eason bounced out to the left and out raced two Tiger defenders into the front corner of the end zone.
Davis picked up a touchdown of his own from seven yards out midway through the second quarter. The Wildcats' point-after kick was blocked, giving them a 13-0 lead.
Hattiesburg appeared to have Davis stopped about three yards behind the line of scrimmage on the touchdown run, but the junior back freed himself of a defender and dashed into the end zone.
Meridian High quarterback Justin Baylor ran in the two-point conversion to give his team a 21-0 lead with 7:34 left in the first half.
Two minutes after Davis' touchdown run, Baylor hooked up with receiver Jonathan Byrd for his first scoring pass of the season and career from 26 yards out.
Byrd's touchdown reception boosted the Wildcats' lead to 28-0 with 5:39 left in the first half.
Meridian High finished the first half with a 35-0 advantage, after Davis scored his second touchdown of the game with 18 seconds left.
Davis ran the ball into the end zone from 46 yards out after shaking off a tackle at Hattiesburg's 39-yard line.
Meridian High didn't let up in the second half, scoring on a one-yard run by Baylor to take a 42-0 lead three minutes into the third quarter.
Hill, who played cornerback most of the game, capped the scoring for the Wildcats with a 17-yard run for a 49-0 lead with 5:15 to play in the third quarter.
Hattiesburg's lone touchdown came on a 64-yard, catch by Shaun Ector from Cedric Jones with 7:03 left in the game.
Meridian High continues its season against Natchez at 7:30 p.m. Friday on the road.