TALLULAH, La. — Tallulah coach John Weaver brought out a motivational speaker, Hollis Conway, an Olympic high jumper in the 1988 and 1992 Games, to speak to his team earlier his week.

Conway’s message was simple: make a decision, have a vision and carry out that vision.

Message received.

The Trojans held visiting Briarfield to just 73 yards of rushing and put away the contest with two fourth-quarter touchdowns to earn an 18-0 victory on Friday. The Trojans (7-4, 2-1 District 6-A) will face Riverfield on the road in the first round of the MAIS Class A playoffs next week.

“I’m big on motivation, not only physically but mentally,” Weaver said. “Your mindset is so crucial, especially in a big game like this that was basically the first round of the playoffs for us.”

Briarfield was hampered by an injury to quarterback Jacob Hopkins, who turned his ankle early in the second quarter. The Rebels, who had two first downs up to that point, wouldn’t get another the rest of the way.

“Our quarterback is the heart and soul of our team,” Briarfield coach Ben Durham said. “When he goes down early in the first half and can hardly take a snap, what can you do?”

Despite 10 fumbles in the rain-soaked conditions by Tallulah, the crucial turnover came on the Briarfield side. Hopkins fumbled the snap on the Rebel 6 and Shivers took the keeper off right tackle 5 yards two plays later to put the Trojans up 6-0 in the second quarter.

The fourth was where the Trojans put the game away, as they held the ball for nearly the entire quarter. Cody Landrem scored on a 1-yard run early in the half to cap a 12-play, 45-yard march that started midway through the third quarter.  

The Trojans saved the best for last. After Hopkins shanked a short punt, the Trojans tried to grind the clock down. But on third-and-9, Shivers completed his only pass of the night, finding John Robert Fortenberry for a diving grab at the 2. Two plays later, Shivers took the sneak 1 yard to paydirt to cap the scoring for Tallulah.

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Contact Steve Wilson at swilson@vicksburgpost.com