Indians to play for south state 3A

It wasn’t the dominating performance that fans of the 2012 Hazlehurst Indians have come to expect from their team, but the result was the same as the previous 13 games.  Hazlehurst ‘escaped’ here Friday night with a 34-28 win over Seminary and advances to the south 3A championship game against West Marion this Friday.
Senior running back and Copiah Super 7 selection Demetrius Cain lifted his team with 175 yards and 3 touchdowns.  His 37 yarder late in the fourth quarter put Hazlehurst up for good.
“We rely on Demetrius not only for leadership by example, but to finish games for us.  He certainly did that tonight,” said head coach Randal Montgomery, who improved his record at Hazlehurst to 27-2.
The Indians led 13-0 after the first quarter.  Senior QB Kenneth Coleman found receiver Dedric Reese open for an 11 yard touchdown pass early in the period.  Cain then plunged over from the 1 late in the first.
Hazlehurst held a 21-6 lead at halftime when junior running back Freddie Nelson punched it in from the 10 late in the second period.
Cain then added two scores in the second half, and the Indians defense withstood a 21 point comeback by the Bulldogs to secure the win.  Seminary finished 8-6 and were knocked out of the 3A playoffs by the Indians for the second year in a row.
For a preview of this week’s big game, see page 5A of the print edition of the Copiah County Courier.