MARIETTA - Four different players scored touchdowns, and the defense allowed just 78 yards of total offense, as Sprayberry shut out Osborne, 28-0, on homecoming Friday night at Jim Frazier Stadium

It was the Region 7AAAA (B) opener for both teams.

Two of the Yellow Jackets' scores occurred on long passes - a 39-yard strike from Jerick McKinnon to Marcus Moses and a 45-yard bomb from Alec Kinard to P.J. Stone.

McKinnon and Kinard combined to go 11-for-16 for 138 yards in the air, while Marcus King carried the ball 11 times for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Despite solid offensive numbers, it was the defense that led the way for Sprayberry (3-2, 1-0). The Yellow Jackets' defense shut out their third straight opponent, forced two Osborne turnovers and held the Cardinals (2-3, 0-1) to seven first downs.

"It's a good way to start our subregion season," Sprayberry coach Billy Shackelford said. "I'm really proud of the way our team played. We have to fix our penalty situation and the turnovers, but I was really pleased with our effort. Our defense played a great game.

"In our last two games, we've given up scores on special teams or on a turnover, but the defense has had three shutouts in a row. I'm really proud of the way they played."

Sprayberry bottled up Osborne running backs Emmitt Rice and Jerimi Johnson. Rice finished the game with 16 yards on eight carries, while Johnson rushed 11 times for 9 yards.

"We felt like coming in that, if we could slow down their running game and force them to throw, then we'd take those chances," Shackelford said. "I just tip my hat to them. It was 11 guys giving a great effort."

The Yellow Jackets' offense didn't waste time putting points on the board. The opening kickoff was retuned to the Osborne 22-yard line and, three plays later, McKinnon, who rushed 13 times for 67 yards, scored on a 13-yard run for an early 7-0 lead.

Osborne turned the ball over on its first possession when D'Alvarez Antwine picked off a pass from Cardinal quarterback Brandon Lowe. Osborne then punted on its next drive.

The Yellow Jackets' final drive of the first quarter began at their own 30-yard line with 1:53 on the clock and carried well into the midway point of the second quarter. Sprayberry converted two fourth downs during the nearly 8-minute, 13-play drive, which was capped by Moses' 39-yard touchdown catch. Osborne blocked the extra kick and the Yellow Jackets fumbled the ball on their final possession of the half and went into halftime leading, 13-0.

Sprayberry scored a safety of Osborne's first drive of the second half when the Yellow Jackets' Blake Young hurried the punt attempt out of the end zone.

Sprayberry took possession of the ball after the safety and marched 50 yards on eight plays for the touchdown. King scored on a 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal. The extra point was blocked again, leaving Sprayberry in front, 21-0.

The Cardinals' best chance to score occurred early in the fourth period. J.D. Williams intercepted McKinnon, giving Osborne first-and-10 at the Sprayberry 20. The Cardinals converted on third-and-8 to reach the 2-yard line, but fumbled the ball on second-and-goal, setting up Sprayberry's final drive.

The Yellow Jackets took over at their 5-yard line and used a 12-play, 95-yard drive, which was capped by Stone's 45-yard reception, to stake a 28-0 lead with 5:26 left in the game.

Osborne gained only 20 yards on its final drive and Sprayberry ran out the clock to win. The Cardinals were hampered all game with dropped passes and lapses along the offensive line, which led to Sprayberry's defense getting into the backfield very quickly.

"Against good teams, and Spraybery is definitely a good team, you have to bring your 'A' game, and we didn't do that," Osborne coach Troy Jones said. "We didn't capitalize on our chances offensively when we could have."