By Brandon Sumrall | Special to the Advertiser

As region champion, the Maplesville Red Devils started their Class 1A playoff run Friday night at home against the Winterboro Bulldogs (3-8).

The Devils came into the game hoping to re-live the success they enjoyed back in Week 1 against the Bulldogs, when they came away with a 55-20 win.

This time, MHS won, 55-6.

The Red Devils (10-1) showed in the opening half that for the Bulldogs to keep pace they would need to score fast and score often, as the Devil offense scored on six of their seven first-half possessions.

Colby Chambers found Anthony Johnson on the first drive for a 32-yard touchdown pass to give the Devils a 7-0 lead. The Devils scored for the second time of the game on a Brintain Hill 15-yard scamper that made the score 14-0 at the 5:13 mark of the first quarter.

One of Winterboro’s few drives was put to a stop by Trevor Wallace with an interception in the end zone.

The Devil offense marched 80 yards on their third possession of the game, capping off the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run by Damian Mitchell, giving Maplesville a 21-0 lead late in the first quarter.

The Devils come away with their second turnover of the night on an interception and 37-yard return for a touchdown to make the score 28-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Devils offense would go on to score on three of their next four possessions. Chambers hit Johnson for a 27-yard touchdown, Jerry Nix added a 1-yard touchdown run that was set up by a Cameron Andrews 72-yard interception return and Demetrius Parker added a 65-yard touchdown run that would give Maplesville a 49-0 half time lead.

With the game well in hand starting the second half, the Red Devils would dial it back a little and get their substitutes into the game. The Devil offense would go on to add one more score on the evening on a Dalton Ray 2-yard touchdown run.

The Winterboro offense broke the shutout late but Maplesville cruised to the win.

With the win, Maplesville will move on to what is sure to be a great battle with St. Luke’s in Round 2 of the playoffs at home next week.

“They’ve got the state’s best running back in all classifications as far as stats go,” coach Brent Hubbert said. “We are going to have to play team defense; it’s going to take 11 men playing disciplined team defense in order to slow him down.”