Coast star’s dazzling 9-touchdown performance sets school record for 100-year-old program
Deuce Knight rolled to his right when the pressure arrived. The southpaw planted his left foot on his own 20-yard line and lofted a twisting jump pass from the wrong side of his body. The ball traveled 40 yards in the air and landed in the outstretched hands of Jarrod Banks, who raced the final 40 yards.
It was the fourth of nine total touchdowns for the George County (6-3, 3-0) quarterback during a 68-49 district win at West Harrison (4-4, 0-3) and a microcosm of the dazzling display of poise and authority Knight displayed on an evening where he threw for seven touchdowns and rushed for two more.
“(Knight) just has that ability to do things you don’t ever see, that I’ve never seen before,” Rebel coach James Ray told the Sun Herald. “He’s elevated his game to where he knows, he sees things out there before I see them and can make these little quick checks, tell that receiver to do this, change that route, because that’s what he sees. He’s got the freedom to do whatever he’s got to, to get the ball to the right guy.”
The 247sports composite five star quarterback and Auburn commit was an endless highlight reel Friday. Knight’s offense cracked 60 points before the end of the third quarter and the team’s 10 touchdowns came in its first 11 possessions.
Knight spread his seven touchdown passes to four different players, had scoring tosses of 80, 63, 56 and 45 yards, set up one of his two rushing touchdowns with a 68-yard scramble and converted a two-point conversion with his legs.
The only touchdown Knight didn’t have his hand in was a 10-yard run by Branden Gautier.
Knight would throw for 538 yards and run for another 113. The effort led to the Rebels scoring their most points in a single game in the program’s 100-year history.
“We went out and executed the game plan,” Knight said. “We just wanted to have a lot of juice and play ball.”
The senior has thrown 14 touchdown passes in three games since returning from an injury suffered in Week 3 and has 1,086 passing yards in just that stretch alone.
“The last three weeks is the best I’ve ever seen Deuce Knight play,” Ray said. “We just need him to continue that for the next five or six weeks. He’s unbelievable.”
George County’s scoring output has increased each week since Knight’s return. The Rebels put 48 on Long Beach in the district-opener and followed with 51 against Hancock.
Act III in region play was the Rebels’ first game over 60 points since beating the Bearcats 63-20 on Nov. 3, 2022.
But the sudden surge in scoring isn’t the most worrisome aspect for George County’s opponents. It’s that the Rebels don’t believe the ceiling for their offense has been reached yet.
“We’re still getting back in the groove,” Knight said. “Coach Ray and the offensive staff, they got some stuff dialed up and we can’t wait to show it. I don’t think anybody has seen our full potential yet.”
Homegrown Rebels
Knight and fellow senior Brenn Moody are only separated once the ball is snapped. The two chat as they take the field, celebrate together as they leave and share observations on the sideline.
It’s a relationship that resulted in three touchdown connections between the two against the Hurricanes and one that goes back well before the two were Rebels.
“We grew up together, we’re best friends,” Moody said. “We call each other every other night talking about what we can do or what can help us win this game.”
The pair are Knight-proclaimed “perfectionists” who stay up until midnight sending each other film clips, dissecting defenses and scheming how to beat certain coverages.
Their obsession with preparation is evident on the field. Moody’s outing against the Hurricanes produced nine catches for 220 yards and was his second in a row with over 100 receiving yards, his fourth such game this season and the eighth of his career.
“We’re on the same page because me and him grew up together,” Moody said. “The chemistry has been there and I’m just glad me and him were able to execute on the field tonight.”
George County will need that chemistry with a looming two-week stretch that may be the biggest in recent memory for the Rebels.
The district throne-holders await in Picayune for a clash between two teams undefeated in Region 4-6A. George County then gets the pleasure of finishing the regular season with a hungry and prolific Silas Corder-led Pascagoula team.
The next two weeks will crown the district’s champion, offer homefield advantage as consolation for the runner-up and produce one of the most dangerous three-seeds in the state.
“The senior class, we’ve been playing together forever,” Knight said. “If we go out and do what we want to do and go win state, this is something we can hold on to forever and just make a lot of memories with the guys. The coaches are going to put us in a spot and if we go out and do what we did tonight, I feel like we’re going to be unstoppable.”
George County stays on the road next week to face the Maroon Tide.
This story was originally published October 26, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
