LIBERTY — There were two things Franklin County head coach Trent Hammond wanted from this Region 7-3A match-up against the Trojans — a win and no injuries with the playoffs around the corner.

The Bulldogs got both things accomplished as they defeated Amite County 28-6, although they got off to a slow start before getting the momentum late in the first half. Senior quarterback/defensive back Jamie Collins returned to action after being out for personal reasons against Wilkinson County.

And what a return it was. Amite County was on the verge of taking what would have been a stunning double-digit lead going into halftime until Collins intercepted a Cornelius Hamilton pass and returned it 94 yards for a touchdown with 3:53 remaining in the second quarter. Jace Carlock’s extra point gave Franklin County a 7-6 lead.

He then accounted for all three of the Bulldogs’ second-half touchdowns. He scored on a 26-yard run with 8:42 to go in the third quarter. Then with 9:39 left the fourth quarter, he threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis King. Just 20 seconds later, he scored on a 30-yard run.

“He played a heck of a game. That’s something that he does every week,” Hammond said of Collins. “I’m glad to have him on my team instead of coaching against him. He can do something offensively and defensively.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Amite County (3-6, 1-5) got on the scoreboard first on an 8-yard run by Josh Rogers just 25 seconds into the second quarter.

“We talked at halftime about our pad level, being too high and not playing aggressively,” Hammond said. “We came out and played well in the second half. We played better in the second half than we did in the first half.”

Hammond added that his team getting back to the fundamentals was the key to his team’s win. He was also happy to get out of the game with no one hurt.

“That was the big thing. When you play a game that’s not important in the standings, you worry about that,” he said.

Franklin County (9-1, 5-1) will host Southeast Lauderdale in the first round of the Class 3A South State Playoffs Friday at 7 p.m.

Vidalia 41, Avoyelles 13

MOREAUVILLE, La. — Vidalia’s season was pretty much on the line Friday night when they took on Avoyelles in a pivotal District 3-3A game.

At 1-2 in district play, Vidalia could not afford another loss in order to keep its slim playoff chances alive. Especially after blowing a big lead and losing to Buckeye at home a week earlier.

Well, that would not be the case as the Vikings rolled to an impressive 41-13 win over the Mustangs to improve to 3-5 overall and, more importantly, 2-2 in district play. No other information on the game was available.