MARYVILLE, Tenn. - With two games left in the high school football regular season, Maryville High School wasn't yet assured of a top seed and home-field advantage in Region 6A.
A single half Friday night at Jim Renfro Field took care of that.
Maryville's offense was methodical and efficient, its defense stingy and stout, and the Rebels rolled over Bradley Central 38-7 on senior night.
"Good win," Rebels coach George Quarles said. "I thought the defense was great again tonight. They got a cheap one against our second-team defense, but our first-team defense shut out a team that I doubt has been shut out this year. They scored 56 against Dobyns-Bennett."
The game was long over by halftime as the Rebels (9-0, 6-0 Region 1-6A) used a balanced offensive attack to build a 28-0 lead. Quarterback Dylan Hopkins completed 15 of 22 passes - to six receivers - for 154 yards and two scores in the first half. Kelby Brock led the receiving corps with five catches.
Meanwhile, six Rebels running backs, including Hopkins, ground and sliced for 171 yards on 18 first-half carries.
Hopkins' 38-yard scoring run on the game's opening drive, and his 15-yard touchdown pass to Brock made it 14-0 after one period.
A potentially game-changing play occurred in the second when Bradley's Adam Mullis was stuffed on fourth-and-inches on the Rebels' 9.
"We're up 14-0 there and that was a good stop," Quarles said. "It gave us a lot of momentum the rest of the game."
In the second period, Brian Tillery scored on a 10-yard reverse and, with 21 seconds left in the half, Hopkins hit his brother Joel for a 14-yard score.
Quarterback Cole Copeland completed 13 of 18 passes for 93 yards in the first half for Bradley (6-3, 3-3), but the rushing attack netted minus-4 yards.
"We could have been a little bit more efficient offensively in the first half," Quarles said in a debatable observation. "But it was a good win. It was against a good team."