WESSON — The Wesson Cobras continued their disastrous patternof turnovers Friday evening and allowed the St. Joe Bruins to steala 17-14 victory and dampen the homecoming festivities at StoneStadium.

The Wesson Cobras had 3 fumbles and a bobbled snap on a 4th downand one play in the first quarter to set the tone for a night wherethe Cobra offense sputtered its way up and down the field.

“Turnovers have been the name of the game all year,” explained afrustrated Cobra head coach Tommy Clopton. “Whether you are inpee-wee or the pros, you have to protect the football.”

The Bruins got an outstanding performance from quarterbackJoseph Shirley who would be 13-16 for 141 passing yards and atouchdown. His poise helped the Bruins do just enough to hold offthe Cobra charge.

The first quarter saw the Cobras strike first in what lookedlike the makings of a blowout when tailback Otho Smith burst up themiddle from 9 yards out to give the Cobras a 6-0 lead with 10:12remaining in the period. The Blake Brister PAT was good and thescore stood 7-0.

The Bruins scored next on a Shirley 20-yard pass to wideout JakeSprinkle with 4:37 remaining in the 1st quarter. George Maloufnailed the PAT and the score was even at 7-all.

Later in the first, following another Cobra fumble at the 20,the Bruins added a 33-yard Malouf field goal with 3:00 remaining inthe period. This closed out scoring for the first half as bothteams struggled to find offensive consistency.

After the break, the Bruins added a 12-yard touchdown run fromwingback Bryndan Blasingame to extend the Bruin lead to 16-7 with2:40 left in the 3rd quarter. Malouf kicked the PAT to pad the lead17-7.

The Cobras mounted a comeback effort in the final period whenquarterback Micah Davis hit wideout Corey Puckett on a 14-yard TDpass with 8 minutes left in the final period. Brister kicked thePAT and the score stood 17-14.

The Cobra defense would hold, giving the Cobra offense a finalchance. That chance would fade away when 4 Cobra passes fell to theturf to no avail, ending a furious comeback attempt by theCobras.

Offensively, in a very uneventful night, the Cobras were led bythe sure-handed Puckett who had 6 catches for 51 yards and atouchdown. Brister led the ground attack with 13 carries for 85yards.

Defensively, the Cobras were led by defensive end John MichaelCliburn who had 9 stops and a sack. Linebackers Bobbie Harris andTuffy Thompson had 9 stops each. Brandon Marlbrough, Roy Williams,and Phillip Freeman each had fumble recoveries.

The Cobras will face Hinds AHS Friday night to conclude theseason on the road. Game time is 7:30 p.m.