FLORA Points and yards were as hard to come by Thursday night as bug spray.

In the first Mississippi high school football game of the season, Tyler Clark’s extra point after a Will Lott touchdown run in overtime lifted Canton Academy to a 13-12 win over Tri-County.

With the West Nile virus scare surrounding the state, cans of bug spray sold for $3 each at the concession stand and workers there said they could have sold four times what they had. The final can was sold just before halftime.

On the field, neither team had much success moving the football. Canton Academy (1-0), a AA school, had 123 yards, while Tri-County (0-1) rolled up 90. All but 3 yards came on the ground.

“Our inexperience in spots showed, but our kids battled,” said Tri-County coach Bo Milton, whose team has lost three straight to its Madison County rival. “We battled for four quarters and an overtime, and if we build on that, we’ll be a good football team.”

Clark had a chance to win the game in regulation, but his 34-yard field goal missed wide right, sending the 6-6 tie into the extra time.

Tri-County took the opening drive of overtime each team gets the ball at the 10-yard line and has four plays to score and scored on a fourth-down run by Edward Hayes. The extra point attempt was blocked.

Canton got to the 2-yard line on its first possession, then pushed in the winning score on a 2-yard plunge by Lott, who led all rushers with 105 yards on 22 carries.

“I told the coach if you give me the ball, I’ll get it in,” said an exhausted Lott, who also played cornerback. “They pinned me on the line, but I kept pushing.”

Neither team’s offense found a rhythm as Canton had five first downs and Tri-County netted six. Four of the five Canton first downs came on its first-quarter scoring drive.

Michael Needham scored on a 15-yard run on the Panthers’ second possession of the night. The four-play drive was highlighted by 10 and 15 yard runs by Lott and a 15-yard scamper by quarterback Allen Jerome.

After that, though, the offense sputtered.

“We were struggling so much on offense, struggling may be the understatement of the year,” Canton coach Flip Godfrey said.

After a punt midway through the second quarter, the Rebels drove 60 yards in 13 plays to tie the game on a 3-yard pass from John Mark Johnson to tight end Eric Green with six seconds left in the half. It was Johnson’s lone completion in his first game as a starter.

“He made some mistakes, but he made some good plays,” Milton said. “We know we’re going to go through growing pains with a sophomore quarterback, but he will get better.”