Mobile Christian rose to No. 1 in the Class 3A state rankings this week, then went out Friday night and showed that the elevation was probably long overdue.

In a battle of undefeated Region 1 teams, the Leopards scored on every possession of the first half to race past sixth-ranked Thomasville, 45-14.

The Leopards’ five first-half possessions all resulted in touchdowns and produced a 35-0 lead at the half. Every drive was lengthy, covering 67 yards in 11 plays, 59 yards in two plays, 79 yards in 12 plays, 68 yards in three plays and 80 yards in seven plays.

“We were very precise in the first half,” said Mobile Christian coach Ronnie Cottrell. “We’ve still got work to do, but I’m so proud of this team. We faced some adversity this year, but it’s just amazing what these guys continue to do.”

Mobile Christian was led by sophomores PJ Brown with 122 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries and Jason Todd with 108 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. Junior quarterback Damien Gatson, a South Alabama baseball commit, had his most productive game of the season, completing 14 of 24 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Moore caught both touchdown passes of 50 and 13 yards and finished with six catches for 104 yards.

Thomasville scored on its first possession of the second half then quickly recovered a fumble in Mobile Christian territory. But the defense stiffened and Davon Young blocked a punt to regain the momentum for the Leopards. The game was never in doubt the rest of the way.

By The Numbers: Mobile Christian had a balanced offense, rushing 35 times for 272 yards and passing 24 times for 220 yards. With 492 yards, the Leopards averaged 8.4 yards per play. Talented Thomasville fullback Decorian Cowan ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.

Coachspeak: “Everything starts up front,” said Mobile Christian offensive coordinator Justin Barnes. “Once we got the running game going, we knew we could get the corners to bite and make some big plays in the passing game. Our efficiency in the passing game has really picked up.”

Coachspeak: “They’re a good football team,” said Thomasville coach Clint Anderson. “We played poorly in the first half, but we had better effort in the second half.”

They said it: “I faked like I was going outside, then came back inside and pushed the H-back into the punter. I blocked the punt with my stomach,” said Young.

Next week: Mobile Christian is now 10-0 and will get an off week to rest up and prepare to host a playoff game. Thomasville (7-1) will wrap up the regular season at home against Clarke County before hosting a first-round playoff game.