Pine Bluff High School left no doubt Friday night.
The Zebras defeated crosstown rival Watson Chapel 60-8 at home in each team's conference opener.
Pine Bluff (2-1 overall, 1-0 5A Central) quarterback Landon Holcomb completed 13 of 21 passes for 190 yards and four touchdowns.
Watson Chapel (0-3, 0-1) running back Omarrion Hunter rushed for 58 yards and scored the Wildcats' lone touchdown.
Pine Bluff quickly took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter after two touchdown passes from Holcomb. Watson Chapel answered quickly when Hunter returned the second kickoff for a touchdown. McErvin Bagby ran in the two-point conversion, cutting the Zebras' lead to 14-8.
The Pine Bluff defense added a pair of touchdowns early in the second quarter. First, Jonathan Goins picked up a fumble near the sideline and returned it 48 yards for a score. Austin Dendy then intercepted a pass 30 seconds later and cruised to the end zone, making Pine Bluff's lead 27-8 after a bad snap on the extra point.
The rest of the first half was choppy with both offenses struggling. The next four drives resulted in turnovers on downs, and the 27-8 score held at halftime.
Then Pine Bluff found its groove again in the second half and scored a touchdown on every possession. Holcomb threw two more touchdown passes after Marquez Brentley scored on a 3-yard run.
The backups played for Pine Bluff in the fourth quarter with a running clock. Davonte Wallace scored on a 34-yard quarterback keeper and Braylon Morton scored on a 16-yard run as the final seconds ticked off.
Watson Chapel's Omarrion Hunter speeds away from a pack of Pine Bluff defenders in high school action on Friday night. (Special to The Commercial/William Harvey)