GALLMAN &8212; Copiah Academy&8217;s defense gave up just 54 points during the regular season and allowed no team to score more that 13 points in a game.

Yet after Trinity Episcopal scored 13 points on the Colonels in the first half, one had to wonder if all that hard work would end up being all for naught.

Fortunately for Copiah and its fans, it wasn&8217;t as the Colonels shut out the Saints in the second half and David Brunt scored two touchdowns as they rallied for a 17-13 win Friday night in the MPSA Class AA South State semifinals.

The win puts the No. 3 Colonels (10-1) in the AA South State Championship game against Oak Forest, a 34-7 winner over Central Hinds, in a rematch of a game played just a couple of weeks ago that the Colonels won 10-9 in Amite, La.

&8220;It was a team that played over their heads,&8221; Trinity head coach David King said. &8220;It was a team that fought a good fight. The better team won.&8221;

Four interceptions, including two in the end zone when it looked like the Saints were in scoring position, proved to be one of the keys in determining the outcome of the game.

&8220;There was a play call or two I&8217;d like to have back,&8221; King said.

Trinity scored first with 4:17 remaining in the first quarter on a 15-yard run by Stevan Ridley, who accounted for 202 total yards &8212; 157 yards rushing on 34 carries and 45 yards passing.

Trinity then took a 13-3 halftime lead on Ridley&8217;s 17-yard touchdown pass to Kris Ford.

Copiah then toughened up on defense and Brunt went to work on offense.

A 48-yard pass led to Brunt&8217;s 30-yard touchdown run cut Trinity Episcopal&8217;s lead to 13-10.