QUITMAN — Melissa’s Cardinals flew into Bud Moody Field on Friday night and rode the passing arm of Wes McQueen to bomb the Quitman Bulldogs, 55-15, in a 7-2A Division I game.

Melissa (5-1, 2-0) easily romped to a 35-0 first half lead, even though two Cardinal TDs of more than 50 yards were nullified by penalties. 

The host Bulldogs (1-6, 0-2) had only three first-half first downs, one of those on a penalty, but came back in the second half as Melissa coach Seth Stinton cleared his bench. The most spectacular play came on the opening drive of the second half. Cardinal defensive back Michael Ellis picked off a Bulldog pass at his own 40, gained about 10 yards before getting out of trouble by pitching the ball to Brad Bush. Bush fought his way to the Quitman 20 and threw a lateral to Mason Hart, who carried the ball in for the six points.

Andre Thompson got Quitman on the score board with a 69-yard quarterback keeper deep in the third quarter. Joel Cameron scored on a 14-yard scamper in the final minute of play for Quitman’s other score. 

Cardinal quarterback Wes McQueen hit on three first half TD passes to Bush (31 yards), Jackson Webb (15 yards) and Michael Ellis (four yards). Brass Woods scored on a 16-yard run and Kristov George on a 9-yard run. 

Melissa had second-half TDs from Hart on the three-man lateral show and Landon Wilson hauled in a 31-yard pass from Zach Torres for the other.