BOONEVILLE – It's a simple formula to slow down Booneville's high-octane rushing attack. Stop quarterback Randon Ray.
Unfortunately for most opponents, what appears to be a simple task is actually a nearly impossible chore.
Ray rushed for three touchdowns and passed for another in just two quarters of play as the Bearcats dominated Salem 49-21 in the 1st round of the Class 3A playoffs Friday at Bearcat Stadium.
Booneville (11-1), which led 42-7 at halftime will host Manila next week.
Ray, who also added two interceptions while playing safety, skillfully engineered an offense that rolled up 285 yards in the first half, 364 yards total. The Bearcats scored on its first seven possessions en route to the easy win.
"We've kind of been doing that all year long. We've been pretty consistent [offensively]," Booneville Coach Doc Crowley said. "They have been getting better each week and that is all you can ask of them come playoff time."
The Bearcats built a commanding 42-7 halftime lead thanks to 253 rushing yards. Ray ran for two scores and passed for another to pace the attack, which had four runners gain at least 40 yards in the first two quarters.
Ray opened the scoring with a 10-yard keeper less than a minute into the game to cap a three-play, 44-yard drive.
The Greyhounds (6-5) answered with a seven-play, 66-yard scoring drive. After converting on fourth down, running back Elijah Romine took an inside handoff and raced 41 yards for the touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:21 left in the first quarter. Romine was the game's leading rusher with 117 yards on 17 carries.
Ray followed with another drive, finishing with a 7-yard keeper for the score with 5:20 left in the opening quarter for a 14-7 lead.
Salem looked poise to drive again for the game-tying score, but a holding call ended the drive forcing a punt.
After that Booneville never looked back.
Ray added his last touchdown run of the game on the first play of the second quarter, a 1-yard quarterback sneak, to increase the Booneville lead to 21-7.
"It's hard to come back against a team that physical," Salem Coach Josh Watson said. "They outdisciplined us tonight. You have to be disciplined in our assignments against that offense and we were not."
After forcing a Salem punt, halfback Daxton Goff took the handoff on a counter play and raced 61 yards untouched for the touchdown with 10:10 left in the first half for a 28-7 lead.
On their next possession, the Bearcats also unleashed another facet of the offense – the passing game -- as Ray hit a wide-open Rayce Blansett for a 32-yard touchdown pass with 2:11 left in the second quarter for a 35-7 lead.
The final score in the half was keyed by a Ray interception and 39-yard return to the Greyhound 3, Rylen Ray, Randon's brother, scored on an inside handoff on the next play for the 42-7 halftime edge.
Booneville's lone second-half score was an 81-yard touchdown scamper by reserve running back Cody Elliott, which is the longest run ever by a Bearcat in the postseason. Booneville got possession after a Blazen Jones interception.
Salem added a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Jacob Earl scored on a 7-yard run with 11:55 left and later quarterback Dakota Jackson hit Tyler Siddons on a 39-yard pass with 5:40 left in the fourth quarter.