ABERDEEN — Nettleton High School offensive coordinator Ken Topps brought his high-flying aerial attack to Aberdeen’s Senior Night on Friday evening, but his one-dimensional offense proved to be ineffective, as the Bulldogs posted a 46-7 victory in a Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 3A, Region 4 game.
On the flip side, a sterling defensive effort combined with a 329-yard passing effort that included six touchdowns sealed a victory that helped Aberdeen (8-3, 5-0 region) wrap up the top seed and a home game against Belmont next week in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs.
Topps, a former Jackson Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen standout from Shannon High who threw for 8,571 yards and 81 touchdown passes en route to 11,038 total yards and 121 touchdowns during his three-year career as a starter more than a dozen years ago, went to the air early and often against Aberdeen. He called only seven running plays that netted 15 yards.
Coming in averaging 256 yards passing and 83 yards rushing, it’s not surprising Topps felt his best chance to hang with Aberdeen was to stick with his passing game. But Aberdeen turned in one of its best defensive performances to thwart Topps’ game plan. The Bulldogs held the Tigers to 160 yards passing, made two interceptions, had three sacks for -25 yards, and stopped Nettleton’s ground game in its tracks.
“For our defense to hold their potent passing attack like we did and to give up just seven points, I’m impressed,” Aberdeen coach Eric Spann said. “That kid (sophomore Coleton Ausbern) has an arm and he can really throw the ball. To hold him in check like we did was the difference in the game.”
Offensive coordinator Thomas Clay’s unit, meanwhile, lived up to its billing, as the Bulldogs averaged 25.3 yards per pass completion en route to 479 yards of offense — 329 passing on 13 completions (six touchdowns) and 150 rushing.
“We ran the ball, we caught the ball, and we had a real good night offensively,” Spann said. “We played more like ourselves.”
Aberdeen starting quarterback Tramonte Prather had an impressive performance, as did backup Byron Butler. Prather, who rushed for 41 yards, threw five touchdowns and was 6 of 9 for 207 yards and five touchdowns, while Butler was 7 of 14 (three of which were drops) for 122 yards and one touchdown.
“Tramonte threw the ball well, and Butler had a good night also,” Spann said. “As for (Jerrick) Orr, he had a tremendous game.”
After scoring on three touchdown passes in the first half, one of which for 77 yards was selected as the Play of the Night on WTVA’s Friday Night Fever telecast, Orr was asked how many touchdowns he would score in the second half.
“I want three more before they take me out,” said Orr, who asked cameraman/sports announcer Andy Lee if he had captured the 77-yard touchdown play on camera.
Orr didn’t reach his goal in the final two quarters, but he added one more score on an electrifying 75-yard jet sweep to finish with 77 yards rushing on two carries and 152 yards receiving on four receptions.
Aberdeen’s defense took charge early and forced a three-and-out on Nettleton’s initial possession. The Tigers got the ball back six plays later, only to fumble a Bulldog punt away at their 17-yard line. Marquellus Atkinson’s recovery set up Prather’s first touchdown pass, a 6-yard strike to Dorian Fears that made it 6-0.
The Tigers responded with a nine-play, 60-yard march — all but one of which were passes — and scored on an 8-yard pass by Ausbern to Chris Long. Zach Winstead’s kick gave the visitors a 7-6 lead.
Seconds later, Drae Smith stepped in front of a Prather pass at the Bulldogs 45 and returned it to the 28. But a 9-yard sack by Tay Carothers with an assist from Donte Carter, an illegal procedure penalty, and two incomplete passes following a 10-yard pickup by Long ended the scoring threat at the Aberdeen 32.
A 21-yard Prather keeper, followed by a 47-yard touchdown toss to Orr and Prather’s two-point conversion run gave Aberdeen the lead for good at 14-7 with a little more than two-and-a-half minutes left in the first quarter.
Aberdeen’s defenders forced a third three-and-out on Nettleton’s ensuing possession. Butler then led the Bulldogs on a 10-play, 72-yard drive. A 10-yard screen pass to Carter gave Aberdeen a 20-7 advantage a minute-and-a-half into the second quarter.
Three-straight completions by Ausbern covering 45 yards, coupled with a 15-yard penalty on Aberdeen, led the Tigers deep into Bulldog territory, but the drive stalled at the 27 on a pair of incompletions — including on that was tipped away by Orr in the end zone.
Two plays later, Prather found Orr in front of the Aberdeen bench near the 40. The Memphis commit made an incredible spin move to shake three defenders and raced to the end zone to complete the 77-yard pass-run play for a 26-7 lead.
After a B.J. Williams interception gave Aberdeen a first down at the Nettleton 22, Orr scored his third touchdown on a 20-yard slant. He added the two-point conversion on a pass from Butler.
Leading 34-7 at halftime, the Bulldogs scored on their first two possessions of the second half. The first was a 33-yard Prather pass to Williams. The second was Orr’s 75-yard jet sweep less than four minutes into the third quarter that accounted for the final margin.
Nettleton drove inside the Aberdeen 4 and to Aberdeen’s 8 in the second half, but Orr had an interception in the end zone to end one scoring threat. Prather broke up a pass at the goal line to keep the Tigers off the board.
“There’s not much you can do when you’re outathleted,” said Nettleton coach Mike Scott, who started his coaching career at Aberdeen years ago before moving on to a successful 25-year career at Shannon, where he coached Topps.
“We’re young, starting 14 sophomores, but that’s no excuse. I expected a little better effort than we gave tonight.”
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