MHSSA 1A Football Championship Recap and Gallery brought to you by: Play It Again Sports – Hattiesburg, MS
HATTIESBURG – Nanih Wayia proved too big, too strong and too much for Lumberton to handle in the Class 1A State Championship Game Friday at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
The Warriors used a smashing ground game to defeat the Panthers 28-13 for their second consecutive state title in their third straight appearance in the 1A finals. Nanih Wayia finished 14-2, while Lumberton finished 12-4.
The Panthers drew first blood on the first play from scrimmage after the opening kickoff, when junior quarterback Robert Henry raced for a 50-yard touchdown run and a 6-0 lead.
But after that it was all Nanih Wayia. Warrior senior quarterback Donovan Turner ran for 189 yards on 24 carries, and senior Shia Moore added 125 rushing yards on 17 runs and scored two touchdowns.
Nanih Wayia led 14-6 at halftime, then broke Lumberton’s back late in the third quarter and early in the fourth with a 15-play, 94-yard drive that ate up 9 minutes, 10 seconds off the clock. In all, the Warriors racked up 371 rushing yards.
Henry rushed for 145 yards on 22 carries for Lumberton.
Thanks to Stanley Caldwell for this recap
