WOODVILLE — Both Franklin County and Wilkinson County entered Friday night’s Region 7-3A opener between the longtime rivals with two-game winning streaks.

And for the first time in close to a decade, each team had a winning overall record as well — Franklin County at 4-2, Wilkinson County at 3-2. So something had to give when the Bulldogs and Wildcats took the field.

After a first quarter in which they fell behind 12-0 and lost their starting quarterback, the Bulldogs got a huge kickoff return to start the second half from Hollis Hunt and Chris Robinson’s 4-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter as they rallied to defeat the Wildcats 22-18.

“We came in and got a win. It was a sloppy game for us,” Franklin County head coach Rickey O’Quinn said. “They got a long kickoff return to start the game. We turned it over and we’re down 12-0.”

The long kickoff return led to Cleveland Spurlock’s 2-yard touchdown run with 9:49 to go in the first quarter. Just 18 seconds later, Wilkinson County scored again, this time on a 25-yard pass from Devin Voorhies to Darius Carter. But both times the Wildcats went for the two-point conversion, they were unsuccessful.

Robinson scored his first touchdown of the game on a 2-yard run with 4:57 remaining in the opening quarter, but the extra point was no go and the score stayed at 12-6.

Hunt provided the spark that Franklin County desperately needed after a sluggish first half. He broke several tackles on his way to a 70-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Robinson was successful on his 2-point conversion run, and with 11:44 left in the third quarter, the Bulldogs led 14-12.

The Wildcats regained the lead on Voorhies’ 22-yard touchdown pass to Carter late in the third quarter, but two-point conversion run was no good.

Voorhies completed 8 of 15 passes for 118 yards with one interception to go with 18 carries for 127 yards. Carter had four catches for 58 yards on offense and an interception and a fumble recovery on defense.

Robinson’s second touchdown of the game ended up being the game-winning score at the 10:54 mark of the fourth quarter. Jimmy Barnes ran in for the two-point conversion. Barnes led the Bulldogs’ defense with 11 tackles while Coleman had six tackles and one interception.

“The kids battled hard,” O’Quinn said.

Franklin County (5-2, 1-0) hosts Hazlehurst while Wilkinson County (3-3, 0-1) hits the road to face Jefferson County next Friday. Kickoff for both games is at 7 p.m.

WCCA 48, Heidelberg Academy 0

WOODVILLE — Wilkinson County Christian Academy secured a winning season Friday night against Heidelberg Academy.

Led by Tramel McKinsey’s 127 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 15 carries, as well as two touchdowns by the defense, the Rams throttled the Rebels Friday night to improve to 6-1 on the season.

McKinsey scored on a 44-yard run just past the midway point of the first quarter and on a 1-yard run early in the third quarter. But he wasn’t the only one who found the end zone twice in this game. Cobie McGehee had a 39-yard touchdown reception from Taylor Prevost early in the first quarter, and McGehee recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown midway through the second quarter.

Kaleb Sterling scored on a 46-yard run with halftime approaching to give WCCA a commanding 28-0 lead.

The play of the game came from 285-pound junior defensive tackle O’Tevin Anderson, who tipped a Hunter Walters pass into his hands for an interception and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown with 6:27 to go in the third quarter. L.J. Jackson set up another WCCA touchdown when he returned an interception 20 yards to the Rebels’ 1-yard line. Two plays later, Duncan Ashley scored on a 2-yard run.

The Rams’ defense held Heidelberg Academy (3-3) to minus-6 rushing yards and 43 yards of total offense and forced four turnovers.

WCCA returns to MAIS South Central A (District 3-A) action next Friday when the Rams play at Union Christian.