MONTICELLO-The Lawrence County Cougars defeated the Port GibsonBlue Wave Fighting Sharks 34-20 in Division 7-4A high schoolfootball action Friday night, on a wet, muddy, sloppy, rain-soakedfield. Senior running back Josh Cameron rushed for 4 touchdowns,and Alexander Montgomery returned a pass interception for atouchdown, to power the Cougars.

With the win, Lawrence County wrapped up the regular season withan overall record of 7-4, and the division champion Cougarsfinished a perfect 5-0 in Division 7-4A play. Port Gibson, underfirst-year coach Lynn Lang, finished the season at 4-7 overall, and1-4 in the division. Lawrence County had already clinched thedivision title with a win at Columbia last week.

“It was a wet, sloppy night,” said sixth-year Cougar coach MikeDavis, “and it was sort of a sloppy game. We got it done, and got adivision win, so we’ll take it and move on. We’re happy still beplaying football into November.”

Lawrence County will host Mendenhall Friday night in the openinground of the state playoffs. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

The Cougars got the win, but it didn’t come particularly easilyagainst the improved Port Gibson team. Fighting Shark quarterbackJoshua Dotson pass for 80 yards and a touchdown, and Rudy Wilsonrushed for 136 yards and a score, to keep the Sharks in thegame.

In the first quarter, Lawrence County drove 85 yards in 9 plays,grabbing the lead on Cameron’s 2-yard touchdown run. Trevor Haviskicked the first of his 4 extra points.

Cougar Tremaine Brown blocked a Dotson punt shortly thereafter,setting up Cameron’s 6-yard scoring run 90 seconds into the secondquarter. After Port Gibson drove into LCHS territory on the ensuingpossession, Montgomery grabbed a tipped pass along the Cougar5-yard line and raced down the home sideline for 95 yards and atouchdown. It was a 21-0 game.

Port Gibson got on the board in the final minute of the half, asDotson sneaked across from 2 yards out.

In their only third quarter possession, the Cougars marched 70yards in a methodical 14 play, with Cameron, Havis, and Montgomerycarrying the load. A 13-yard pass from Adam Watson to JamieMcCardle set up Cameron’s 12-yard TD run. Cameron’s final touchdowncame early in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard run.

In the absence of fellow running star Matthew Wells, Cameronrushed 19 times for 126 yards. Wells, still nursing a strainedgroin, did not play in the game.

Port Gibson scored twice in the fourth quarter. The first cameon a 6-yard Dotson-to-Rodney Dee pass. The final score of the nightcame with just 2 minutes left, on Wilson’s 11-yard run.