Yates, Eagles take flight after halftime to crush Terrell County

By Sonja Stroyls, [email protected]

CAMILLA — Mitchell County needed some time to find its rhythm Friday night, but once it did, the Eagles left little doubt about who rules this region rivalry.

Behind the steady play of senior quarterback Parnell Yates and a defense that locked down after halftime, the Eagles soared to a 44–8 victory over visiting Terrell County in front of a packed Homecoming crowd at Eagle Stadium. The win pushed Mitchell County to 3–2 overall and 2–0 in region play, while Terrell County fell to 1–4, 0–2. Homecoming King Marcus Vicks and his teammates gave the Camilla crowd plenty to celebrate.

The Eagles struck first on their opening drive when Yates kept the ball on a quarterback sneak for the game’s first touchdown after a long completion to Jonathan Isom was erased by penalty. Yates’ two-point conversion pass to King Grissom was tipped by Terrell’s Quin’Traevion Huckaby but still found its way into Grissom’s hands for an 8–0 lead.

Moments later, the Mitchell County defense swung momentum again. Terrell quarterback Jacorey Williams looked poised to score before Vicks stepped in front of a pass in the end zone for an interception, returning it all the way to the Eagles’ 19-yard line. Yates soon followed with another keeper for his second rushing touchdown, then hit Grissom for another two-point conversion to make it 16–0.

Terrell’s defense created its lone spark late in the second quarter when Damarion Huckaby scooped up a Mitchell County fumble and rumbled to the end zone. The two-point try was good, slicing the Eagles’ lead to 16–8 before halftime. Penalties plagued both sides through the first half, including two touchdown-nullifying flags for Mitchell County and an ejection that slowed the tempo just before the break.

The second half began with a Terrell turnover on the kickoff — a fumble recovered by Kaden Murray at the 31-yard line. Mitchell County wasted no time cashing in as Yates found Isom for a touchdown, followed by another conversion to Grissom that stretched the lead to 22–8. From there, the rout was on.

Yates added another touchdown run, then tossed a short scoring strike to Isom for a 30–8 advantage. Running back Quinton McCraw joined the fun with a 4-yard burst into the end zone and yet another successful conversion to Isom, pushing it to 38–8. Yates capped the night with an 11-yard touchdown keeper in the fourth quarter — his fourth rushing score of the evening — sealing the final margin of 44–8.

Mitchell County’s defense was just as dominant as its offense, holding the Greenwave scoreless after the fumble return and forcing multiple turnovers. The Eagles controlled both lines of scrimmage and limited Terrell to just one sustained drive all night. Despite the laundry list of penalties, head coach Dondrial Pinkins squad showed poise and persistence — traits that could carry weight in the weeks ahead as the Eagles continue their region push.

Mitchell County (3–2, 2–0) will look to extend win big again next week when arch rival Pelham comes to Camilla for the “Backyard Brawl.” Terrell County (1–5, 0–2) searches for answers as they head to Cuthbert next Friday for another region battle against Randolph-Clay.