MARION – Senior Eric Montz returned the 2004 season opening kickoff 85 yards to set the tone of the game for Greensboro’s Southern Academy Cougars.

The Cougars mounted a 300 yard plus rushing attack to shut out the Marion Military Institute Tigers 47 – 0.

“This was a big win for us,” said Cougar coach Shaun Bonds after the game, “I really don’t know how well we did, because I thought they (MMI) would play better.”

The Cougars scored two more touchdowns in the first quarter on runs of five yards by Joey Christian and 28 yards by Montz. All three extra point attempts were no good.

The Tigers threatened to score early in the second quarter on a drive that started on their own 29-yard line with 1:43 left in the first quarter.

Wes McElroy scampered for 7 yards, Javoris Smith exploded for 25 yards, and Andrew Alexander completed a 10-yard pass to Tim Simmons to move the drive to Southern’s 29-yard line to end the first quarter.

After a 2-yard loss and an incomplete pass, Alexander hit McElroy with a 12-yard reception for a first down on the Cougars’ 19.

McElroy rushed for another 2 yards, then on the next play Southern intercepted an Alexander pass to thwart the drive.

Southern put together a 92-yard drive that ended with an 18-yard touchdown run by Andrew Hoggle.

That raised the score to 24-0 after an unsuccessful extra point attempt.

The Cougars picked off another pass on the next MMI possession.

Three plays later Southern added another six on quarterback Wallace Drury’s 38-yard run.

Halftime score 30-0.

MMI’s offense never got going in the second half. They were never able to get a first down and only completed one pass in the last two quarters of the game.

Meanwhile the Cougars reached the end zone twice in the third quarter on touchdown runs of six yards by Montz and 33 yards by Hoggle to go up 44-0 converting the extra points.

In the fourth quarter, Southern’s Andy Wheeler added a 37-yard field goal.

“I was pleased with some of our individual effort,” MMI coach David Ivey said. “Southern has plenty of talent. We’ve only been together three weeks. I’m proud of our progress, and we will get better.”

MMI unofficially rushed for 48 yards and completed 4 of 8 passed for 29 yards with two interceptions.

The Tigers hope to improve on its last season record of 1 – 8. They travel to Shelby Academy on Friday.