A week after suffering its first loss of the season, the Vicksburg Gators responded with a nearly flawless performance.

Joe Johnson completed 10 of 12 passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns, Mike Sims ran for two scores, and the Gators turned a blocked punt and an interception into points as they hammered Yazoo City 45-0 Friday night.

The win was needed medicine for the Gators, who hurt themselves with some costly mistakes the previous week in a home loss to archrival Warren Central. Vicksburg led Yazoo City 31-0 at halftime and a running clock was used throughout the second half. The game was over in 1 hour and 59 minutes.

“Any time you’re coming off a loss like last week, it’s always good to get a win. To get a win in convincing fashion is even better,” Vicksburg coach Marcus Rogers said. “We scored on every possession except one, we had turnovers, we blocked a punt, we kicked a field goal. We won all three phases of the game.”

Johnson’s first pass of the game was incomplete, and then he hardly missed again. He completed 10 of his last 11 passes, including touchdowns to three different receivers. He hooked up with DeAngelo Dixon and Jeff Scott for scores of 19 and 23 yards in the first half, and threw a 14-yard TD pass to Raheam Moore in the third quarter.

“I was glad to get some of those other receivers involved. They’re double-teaming Raheam now, so we’ve got to get that supporting cast going,” Rogers said.

Sims scored on a 22-yard run in the second quarter, and then punched in a 1-yard score following the blocked punt. Greg Hayden’s 32-yard field goal just before halftime gave Vicksburg a 31-0 lead.

Johnson’s TD pass to Moore and Jamaal Jefferson’s 19-yard interception return were all the Gators (3-1) had time to score in the second half. Thanks to the running clock, they only got the ball twice.

“The execution was a lot better tonight,” Rogers said. “We had a better week of practice. Typically, they’re flat after a loss like we had, but they came back ready to go.”