Powered by senior running back David Brunt’s 19 carries for 151yards and three touchdowns, the visiting Copiah Academy Colonelsrolled over the Brookhaven Academy Cougars 27-6 Friday night in theseason opener for both teams.

Brunt, a 6-foot-1, 192-pound power runner, was exhausted buthappy with Friday night’s outcome. He remembered the loss last yearat home.

Last year, Brookhaven Academy defeated Copiah 34-21 atGallman.

“We have respect for BA,” said Brunt who runs a 40-yard dash in4.6. “We were prepared for Price (Sessums).

“We’ve got a great blocking line,” Brunt added. “Our line madesome good holes for me. We wanted to pick up where we had left offlast year. We came out and took care of business.”

Sessums, a 5-foot-9, 155-pound junior, struggled at quarterbackagainst a quick, big Copiah defensive line and an alert secondary.He scored the only touchdown for BA in the final seconds on atwo-yard run. Sessums rushed the football nine times for 32 yardsand completed 2 of 20 passes for 22 yards. He was intercepted fourtimes in the first half and two were converted into touchdowns.

“We have a lot of respect for BA,” Copiah Academy head footballcoach Mitch Mitchell after the game. “We got off to a good starttonight. The key for us was stopping Sessums. I thought we did anexcellent job at that. Price is explosive when he gets loose.

‘My guys did a great job, That’s the way to play.”

On the down side, the Colonels were hit with 12 yellow flags for127 yards. The Cougars were assessed four penalties for 54yards.

“You make your own breaks,” said Brookhaven Academy head coachRay Ishee. “They whipped us. We didn’t get the job done.

“Copiah had eight good fellas up front and they could fly.”Ishee noted. “We have to get better at fundamentals. We’re going towork on our blocking and tackling.”

Colonel defensive back Clint Denson picked off his first of twoSessums’s passes at the Brookhaven 44 to set up the game’s firstscoring drive. Copiah marched 44 yards in seven plays to set upBrunt’s 4-yard run over the middle for a 6-0 lead. Richard Henleykicked the PAT to give the Colonels a 7-0 lead with 8:31 left inthe first quarter. Henley was 3-for-4 on the night.

Brookhaven had marched 37 yards in 11 plays when Copiahlinebacker Jed Stevens picked off a Sessums pass to set up the nextscoring drive. The Colonels ran off nine plays before scoring on a25-yard pass play from junior quarterback Bennett Wilson to seniortight end Wil Ervin. That gave the Colonels a 14-0 lead with 11seconds left on the clock in the first quarter.

At the 9:36 mark in the second quarter, Brookhaven got a breakwhen Brunt fumbled at the Copiah 46 and senior lineman Bo Heathmanrecovered for the Cougars. Brookhaven ran seven plays before Copiahlinebacker Matthew Wright picked off Sessums’ pass to kill theCougar threat at the Copiah 31-yard line.

The Colonels marched 78 yards in 10 plays and scored on a 9-yardrun by Brunt for the 20-0 lead with 3:09 left in the firsthalf.

Copiah scored its final TD on its opening drive to start thethird quarter. The Colonels drove 84 yards in nine plays to set upBrunt’s one-yard plunge for the 27-0 lead.

T-Boy Lynch was the leading rusher for the Cougars with sevencarries for 60 yards.

Copiah’s Jed Stevens was the second leading rusher with 37 yardson seven carries.

Defensively, Brookhaven was led by freshman linebackerKolby Byrd who made 12 tackles. Wesley Taylor and Aaron Douglasmade 11 stops apiece. Bo Heathman recovered a fumble.

Brookhaven (0-1) is on the road Friday to PrentissChristian Schools. Copiah (1-0) debuts at home against East Rankin.Game times are 7 p.m.