Brandon football overwhelms Pearl in MHSAA 7A quarterfinal, sets up rematch with Oak Grove

Tyson Robinson just needed a seam.

The freshman running back took off at the line of scrimmage after a gap opened and delivered Brandon's sixth touchdown in Friday night's game. It extended the Bulldogs' lead to 42-10 en route to their 42-25 MHSAA 7A quarterfinal win over Pearl (8-4) at Brandon Stadium.

In the semifinals, Brandon will face Oak Grove at 7 p.m. Nov. 24 at Brandon Stadium.

"We were great all night on offense," coach Sam Williams said. "I thought all the kids executed it really well. And at the end of the day, the defense played great, man."

Robinson, who had three rushing touchdowns, got Brandon its first score on a 6-yarder. His next touchdown was a 7-yard run in the second quarter.

Crediting his team, and his offensive line in particular, he described how they determine his level of play and his overall success.

"They give a lot of help," Robinson said. "They're the reason why I'm here. Every good thing they do, they build me up to it."

Rematch with Oak Grove

Brandon and Oak Grove (10-1) will be facing each other for the second time this season. When they played Oct. 14, Oak Grove was No. 1 in the state and undefeated. But Brandon beat the Warriors 38-20.

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"We wouldn't want it any other way and I know they (Oak Grove) wouldn't, either," Williams said. "It's a great game. They're a great team. They have a great head coach and they've been in a lot of south state games. I'm sure they're gonna look for revenge from two years ago, so you got to take it a day at a time."

Quincy Phillips Jr. breaks record

With 11 catches Friday, Quincy Phillips Jr. set the school record for receptions in a single season with 87.

Jonathan Mingo, who went on to play at Ole Miss and is currently with the Carolina Panthers, held the record at 77.

"It feels good, man," said Phillips, who had 152 receiving yards. "I can't do nothing but thank God. . . . I was excited but I know it's not about me. We got another game to get to."

Phillips is having a breakout season, but says he has been following the same routine he has had his whole high school career.

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"It all happened in the offseason, I don't do anything different," he said. "It's just catching balls every day staying after practice, getting passes with the quarterback, just getting the timing down. Nothing different."

Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion-Ledger. Email him at mchavez@gannett.com or reach out to him on X, formerly Twitter @MikeSChavez.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Brandon football overwhelms Pearl, sets up rematch with Oak Grove