By Coe Robbins | Special to the Advertiser

Big plays were the story Friday as second-ranked Maplesville (10-0) cruised to a 48-7 win over Millry to advance for the sixth straight time into the second round of the state playoffs.

Quarterback Cole Spencer threw for 183 yards and three touchdown passes, all from 50 yards or more.

“(Spencer’s) done a good job for us,” Maplesville head coach Brent Hubbert said. “He’s gotten better each and every week, and he does a good job of taking what the defense gives him.”

Millry (7-4) tried to gain the momentum at the start of the game when, on the opening kickoff, the Wildcats recovered an onside kick to start their drive at the Red Devils’ 38.

Seven plays later, Millry quarterback Matthew Fincher’s pass was intercepted by Nathaniel Watson, who raced 79 yards for the touchdown to give the Red Devils a 7-0 lead.

Watson ended the day with two interceptions and a sack.

On Maplesville’s first possession, Spencer was able to connect to Kendarius Bradley on a third-down play for 64 yards to extend the lead to 13-0.

The Red Devil defense was able to back Millry deep in their territory on the next possession, and on third down, a host of defenders brought down Millry running back Xavier Thorton for the safety to make it 15-0.

The onslaught continued on the next possession as Maplesville drove 41 yards down the field with the help of a roughing the kicker penalty, capped off by a Terence Dunlap 30-yard rushing touchdown to make it 21-0 following a missed extra point. Dunlap finished with two rushing touchdowns.

It took just one play to extend the Red Devil lead with a minute to go in the first as Spencer found Anthony Moore for a 51-yard score to make it 27-0 followed by another missed extra point.

The Red Devil offense never let up in the first half as Spencer threw a 53-yard touchdown, this time to wide receiver Troy Harrison, to make it 34-0 with 11:35 left in the second quarter.

On the next offensive possession, Maplesville’s Jerry Nix III rushed 15 yards for a touchdown to make it 41-0.

Maplesville will look to stay alive as they host McKenzie on Nov. 14.

Maplesville finished the game with 320 total yards of offense.