CENTREVILLE — It’s been a long time coming, but Centreville Academy coach Bill Hurst is glad it’s over.

The 32-year head coach of the Tigers recorded his 300th career win Friday, 35-14 against Oak Forest, becoming the third coach in Mississippi high school history to record 300 and the first to do it all with one school.

“I’m tired of thinking about it,” Hurst said. “It just means another win.”

More importantly to Hurst and the Tigers, the victory ensures Centreville a spot in the MPSA Class AA playoffs.

After early losses to Parklane and Central Private, that’s good news for the team.

Their seed depends on the outcome of next week’s Bowling Green — Central Private game.

“It assured us second place in the playoffs,” Hurst said. “We’re in, that’s the main thing. We wanted to get our toe in the door.”

The Tigers wasted no time assuring the win, forcing Oak Forest to punt on its first drive and promptly scoring.

Running back Zack Sinclair’s first run was for 27 yards, and his second was for 22 before Kyle Brown threw a 26-yard pass to Adam Perry.

Sinclair’s 4-yard run put the Tigers on the board and Nathaniel Gration’s extra-point was good with less than two minutes left in the game.

Sinclair scored twice in the second quarter on two 2-yard runs, with an Oak Forest touchdown separating them.

Sinclair had 17 carries for 149 yards in the game, 137 of which came in the first half.

“I just thank God for the opportunity to get to work with these kids and for the effort that they’ve given me this year,” Hurst said. “It’s a bunch of good kids, and they don’t mind working hard. They come to work everyday ready to work, and that’s what its all about.”

A 14-point deficit was as close as the Yellow Jackets would get. Centreville scored again in the third on a 41-yard pass from Brown to Colby Lockwood.

Lockwood caught the pass at about the 15-yard line and scampered his way to six points in a wide-open field. J.T. Doughty then intercepted the Jackets’ pass on second down of the next drive to end the third quarter.

While the Tigers solidified the win with a one-yard run by Hunter Brabham in the fourth after Oak Forest fumbled, the Jackets did put one more score on the board.

Denton Hanson threw a 48-yarder to Travis Thornton, but the Jackets were intercepted on their next drive to end the game.

Hurst said he was proud of the way his team never let up, even when the game was clearly won.

“Ever since we lost to Central Private, that’s the way they’ve played all year,” he said. “They just come after you.”