JACKSON &045; Nobody wanted to go on record and say it prior to the start of the playoffs, but Thursday’s clean sweep by the South in the MPSA Class AAA playoffs just confirmed the notion.

Adams Christian, the No. 4 team out of the South, took the first game of Thursday’s action 8-2 over Jackson Academy to take the series 2-0 and make it an all-South playoff bracket. The Rebels will face Hillcrest, a winner over Magnolia Heights Thursday, in one state semifinal.

The other will pit Jackson Prep against Central Private.

&uot;I think every South coach knew it was going to happen, but you have to get it done on the field,&uot; AC head coach Gill Morris said. &uot;It’s just a shame you’re not going to have a true South State champion. But we’re just tickled to be here. We were the No. 4 seed, and we’ll be the No. 4 seed next week. We’ll probably see Joey Tackett, and he’s a heck of a pitcher. He’s already beaten us.

&uot;The hungriest team right now will win it. We all know each other. It’s going to come down to pitching and defense.&uot;

The Rebels got both along with some key hitting to put away the Raiders in two straight on Thursday. They got a strong outing from left-hander Glenn Williams, who scattered nine hits while striking out nine and walking two.

The Raiders, who left on 11 men on base in Game 1, left nine on Thursday. They loaded the bases in the sixth with two walks and a single and no outs, but Williams struck out the 6-, 7- and 8-hole hitters to end the inning.

The Rebels took a 3-0 lead in the third as Dustin Case doubled in Ray Simpson for the first run. Case then had the biggest shot of the game when he doubled with the bases loaded in the fourth to put the Rebels up 6-0.

Case later singled in Williams in the sixth for the 8-2 lead. Jamie Morris doubled in Joseph Dunlap in the fifth.

&uot;Case had a real big double,&uot; Gill Morris said. &uot;That (second double) was real big. At the time we had two outs. But we played defense and turned two double plays &045; one of them was real big. Glenn did a great job on the mound.&uot;

Block 19, Ringgold 1

JONESVILLE, La. &045; The Bears scored all their runs in the first two innings to steamroll Ringgold in four innings in a Class 1A bi-district playoff.

The Bears had eight in the first and 11 in the second while 11 men to the plate in the first and 15 in the second. Jeremy Washington had a two-run homer in the first inning, and eighth-grader Chase Sharp tripled with the bases loaded in the second inning.

&uot;We were real disciplined at the plate,&uot; Block head coach Denny Ray Spinks said. &uot;That’s what I was looking for against kind of weak pitching. We hit the ball well.&uot;

Ryan King threw the first three innings for the Bears and struck out eight.

The Bears will host Oberlin Tuesday in a second-round playoff.