Vigor second-hear head coach Markus Cook wanted his team to start fast Saturday night against rival Mattie T. Blount in the annual “Battle of Prichard.”

He got his wish.

The Wolves scored on the game’s fourth play, led 20-0 at the half and went on to win 26-6 before a large crowd at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

“I think we started off fast, and that was the goal,” Cook said. “We have to get in a little better shape. I wasn’t pleased with the way we finished the game. We started fast and didn’t close the game out.”

The Wolves (1-0) have now won four straight games over the Leopards and five of the last six overall. The game was moved from Vigor’s new $5 million on-campus stadium to Ladd to accommodate a bigger crown.

Unfortunately, it was delayed for 25 minutes at the beginning of the second half due to an apparent disruption in a bathroom on the Blount side that led to Leopard fans running from the stands and forced players from both teams to lay on the field.

“I coach football,” Cook said. “My kids know we can’t control whatever is going on around us. What happens between these lines, we can control. We got back refocused, and we had to go win the football game. We are here to play football. We can’t let distractions stop us from our goals.”

South Alabama commit Jerrian Graham, who played multiple positions on the night, hit Chris Perry Jr. with a 35-yard TD pass on a fourth-and-5 less than two minutes into the game. The Wolves led 7-0.

Carlos Benjamin scored on a 65-yard run with 11:16 left in the half, and quarterback Kelvin Brisker added a 3-yard TD run with 2:06 left before intermission. Brisker’s run capped a 12-play drive in which Vigor converted a fourth-and-19 when Brisker hit Graham with a 21-yard completion.

“In a game of that magnitude, you can’t make mistakes,” Blount first-year coach Ray Nelson said. “We probably couldn’t have played a worse first half and not just because we played bad. We didn’t finish drives. They converted on a fourth-and-20 or something like that. Situational football hurt us, and that is on me.”

When the game finally restarted after half, Brisker connected with Michael Laland for an 8-yard TD. The score came after Blount stopped Vigor on the first possession of the third quarter only to fumble the ensuing punt back to the Wolves. Blount’s lone score came with 1:03 left in the game when Roderick Taldon threw a 6-yard TD pass on fourth-and-goal.

“Defensively, I thought the kids played well,” Nelson said. “They tackled well for most of the night. Offensively, we were able to move the ball. We just couldn’t finish drives. Fourth-and-shorts, third-and-shorts hurt us. We have to do a better job coaching up the situations and the way we practice. I thought we played hard. I was a little nervous about how we might respond to adversity because everything has been so positive since I’ve been there, but I feel good about the future.”

Cook complimented the play of his defense, including defensive back Brandon Purifoy and linebacker Devin Whitsett.

“Brandon Purifoy had a huge night defensively,” he said. “Devin Whitsett had about three sacks from what I could see. He was a kid who made his first career start and just went to work.”

Cook said running back Jacori Barnes, who left with an injury in the second half, was “day-to-day.”

“We were ahead, and we have a lot of backs we didn’t need to push anything,” he said.

Not so fast: Vigor also had 2 TDs called back due to penalty. Benjamin’s 64-yard run was negated by a hold in the first quarter as was Brisker’s 24-yard TD pass to Gerritt Holcombe in the second quarter.

What’s next? Blount opens Class 6A, Region 1 play at Spanish Fort on Friday. Vigor finally officially opens its on-campus stadium, hosting B.C. Rain in a 5A, Region 1 opener.

SATURDAY’S HIGH SCHOOL SCORES

Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 43, Southaven (Miss.) 0

Percy Julian 21, Sidney Lanier 0

Loachapoka 32, LaFayette 12

Vigor 26, Blount 6