With time winding down Friday night, Cameron Cooksey took the snap and dropped back.

The big sophomore quarterback stood tall in the pocket in the face of the pass rush and launched a tight spiral 30 yards down the field. The ball sailed just over the hands of a defender and right onto the fingers of receiver Alventray Tarleton, who sprinted the rest of the way for a 61-yard touchdown that brought Vicksburg High’s half of the crowd to its feet.

It was a thrilling play, and one Vicksburg High hopes to see repeated often this season. It also came at the end of a 47-6 blowout loss to Ocean Springs in the Red Carpet Bowl, which tempered some of the enthusiasm.

The 41-point loss was Vicksburg’s second-worst in 25 Red Carpet Bowl appearances, behind only a 48-0 defeat to West Point in 1983. It was also the first time VHS has lost by more than 40 points since getting crushed 44-0 by Clinton on Oct. 15, 1999.

The long touchdown was the lone highlight on an otherwise abysmal night for the Gators. Other than that play, they had 46 total yards of offense and three first downs. They turned it over five times — twice on fumbled center-quarterback exchanges. It was a sobering reminder of what lay ahead for a team with only one returning starter on offense.

“It was youth. Simple blocks that we missed. Then we make a good run and we don’t get the ball from the center to the quarterback. That’s basic football and we have to get better at that,” VHS coach Alonzo Stevens said.

Part of the Gators’ problems stemmed from their opponent. Ocean Springs is a deep, veteran team that is expected to contend for the Class 6A championship this season. Vicksburg, however, showed little signs of offensive life in the first 43 minutes.

VHS didn’t get a first down until Jamaal Lindsey broke off a 13-yard run early in the third quarter. Six first-half drives ended in four punts, a fumbled snap and a two-play drive to run out the clock. In the second half, there were two punts, another fumbled snap, and two interceptions. One of the first downs came on a pass interference penalty.

Each quarterback vying for playing time, Cooksey and Millan Nasif, turned it over twice. Cooksey was responsible for both fumbled snaps, while Nasif threw the two picks.

Third-stringer Clyde Kendrick played one series in the third quarter and didn’t fare any better. He was sacked inside his own 10-yard line, completed a short pass and ran for a 3-yard loss during a three-and-out.

“I think I could’ve done better. One touchdown isn’t going to win a game,” said Cooksey, who was 2-for-6 passing for 60 yards and the one TD. He said getting the later touchdown was “a little better. But at the end it’s still a loss.”

The Gators, at least, will have some extra time to figure out what went wrong. The Mississippi High School Activities Association has mandated that all Class 6A teams take a bye week this season, and Vicksburg will have its open date this Friday. It will return to action next week at Richwood (La.), a perennial playoff team.

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Contact Ernest Bowker at ebowker@vicksburgpost.com