JACKSON – The Vicksburg Gators played a complete game on Friday night.

They were equally bad on offense, defense and special teams.

Provine’s Anton Taylor rushed for 230 yards and a touchdown on 36 carries, quarterback Douglas Rash threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, and the Rams’ defense held Vicksburg to 85 yards of total offense in a 30-8 rout.

Besides Vicksburg’s offensive ineptitude, it also committed two turnovers on punts, allowed a sack in the end zone for a safety and gave up two long kick returns to Provine’s William Moore that led to scores.

Vicksburg’s only highlight was a 13-play, 66-yard scoring drive in the third quarter that led to its only score. The 13 plays were two more than the Gators’ offense ran in the entire first half.

&#8220My fault. I just didn’t have them ready. I did a poor job coaching tonight. It’ll never happen again on my watch,” Vicksburg coach Alonzo Stevens said. &#8220We stunk it up.”

The Gators’ long night began on the first series of the game.

After the defense forced Provine to punt, the ball hit a VHS player who was loping downfield on coverage. Provine recovered at the VHS 45, but was forced to punt again. Two plays later, after a holding call backed the Gators up to their own 5-yard line, Provine’s William Crump broke through the line and sacked Stanton Price for a safety and a 2-0 lead.

Moore then returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards to the Vicksburg 35, setting up Rash’s first touchdown pass 10 plays later. Provine converted two fourth downs on the drive, including the scoring play.

A muffed punt by Les Lemons gave Provine the ball inside the 10 midway through the second quarter, but the Gators’ defense held the Rams on downs and it looked as if VHS might escape the half down only 9-0.

Vicksburg’s offense was forced to punt after picking up only one first down, however, and Moore returned the kick 33 yards to the Gator 20. Four plays later, Rash capped a dominating half with a backbreaking touchdown on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to make it 16-0.

&#8220The field dictated a lot. We never got good field position. We got conservative and protected the ball, and put the defense in bad situations,” Stevens said. &#8220The defense played extremely well, given the circumstances.”

No matter how well they played, Taylor eventually wore them down. The bruising 5-foot-11, 200-pound back carried 18 times for 108 yards in the first half alone, then carried the ball on 11 of Provine’s first 16 offensive plays in the second half.

Taylor often dragged a pile of Vicksburg defenders for extra yardage, and his effort keyed a pair of game-clinching scoring drives after halftime.

After VHS was forced to punt on the opening possession of the second half, Taylor ran 33 yards on five carries before Rash threw an 8-yard TD pass to Moore to make it 22-0. Two offsides penalties on Vicksburg moved the ball close enough for Taylor to take it in for a two-point conversion and a 24-0 lead.

Then, following Price’s 9-yard TD pass to Delmon Robinson that got Vicksburg on the scoreboard, Provine recovered an onsides kick and Taylor went back to work. This time he gained 56 yards on an eight-play drive, capping things off with an 8-yard run that put the Rams ahead 30-8.

&#8220We’re going to give it to him as long as he can take it,” Provine coach Willie Collins said. &#8220He’s a state champion in the 100, a big kid, and he can do it.”