Beckville High School for the Zone Tuesday, June 29, 2021. (Les Hassell/News-Journal Photo)

MURPHY — Ryan Harris gave Beckville the lead early and J’Koby Williams put on a show late as the Bearcats earned a 50-31 win over Hearne on Friday in a Class 2A Division I area playoff game at Kimbrough Stadium.

Beckville improves to 12-0 with the win, and will move on to face Timpson in the regional quarterfinals next week. Hearne ends its season with an 8-4 record.

It marked the second year in a row Beckville has ended Hearne’s season. A year ago, the Bearcats earned a 41-38 win in the same round of the postseason.

Harris threw a TD pass and rushed for a couple of scores in the first half, and Williams scored four rushing touchdowns after halftime as the Bearcats rolled up at least 50 points in a game for the ninth time this season.

Harris tossed a 68-yard TD pass to Matt Barr and then added a 2-point conversion run to give Beckville an 8-0 lead at the 10:35 mark of the first quarter.

Three minutes later, Harris scored on a 3-yard run to make it 15-0, but Hearne came back with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Keyshawn Langham to Jabari Dunn. The PAT was blocked, and Beckville led 15-6 with 2:42 left in the opening quarter.

Langham’s 18-yard TD run at the 7:47 mark of the second quarter and a 13-yard TD run by JeCory McGrew four minutes later put Hearne on top 18-15, but Harris scored on a 4-yard run with just eight seconds left in the half to give Beckville a 22-18 halftime cushion.

Williams got in the scoring act with 9:37 left in the third on a 3-yard TD run to make it a 29-18 contest, and after Hearne came back wit ha score to keep it close Williams broke off a 75-yard touchdown jaunt at the 7:10 mark to give Beckville a 36-24 lead.

McGrew’s 9-yard touchdown run with 1:01 left in the third made it a 36-31 contest, and Williams scored on runs of 6 and 17 yards in the fourth quarter to make the final 50-31.