The Long County Blue Tide football team rolled to a 3-0 start as they played their first home game of the season Friday. They took an early 21-point lead against the Groves Rebels and never looked back on their way to a 50-20 win.

The air attack put the Tide on the board as Dylan Tyler found sophomore tight end Troy Gerber in the endzone for a 7-0 lead. Groves fumbled on its next play, and the Tide took over at the Rebels 12. Wesley Williams found the endzone two plays as the Tide went up 14-0 less than six minutes into the game.

Cortney Charles took the handoff and rolled 70 yards for a touchdown on the next possession as the Tide went up 21-0 with 4:11 left in the first quarter.

Groves finally picked up its first first down of the night and got to the Tide 25, but a holding call wiped out a touchdown. Long County eventually took over on downs.

Tyrell Grayson, awarded the number 0 jersey for his effort against Johnson, broke off a run to the Rebels 19. That set up his 15-yard touchdown run with 5:23 left until halftime.

The Rebels finally found some life as quarterback Kaleb Detty found an open man down the sideline for a 58-yard pass to make the score 28-6 31 seconds later.

After a penalty negated a Tide touchdown, Jehmiel Pettis made a diving snag of Tyler’s 29-yard touchdown pass for a 35-6 lead.

Groves got within 35-14 on Delty’s second touchdown pass. Back-to-back pass interference penalties aided the drive.

The Tide opened the second half with another touchdown drive, as Pettis scored from 27 yards away, putting the Tide up 42-14.

Charles capped off the Tide’s night with a 45-yard touchdown to make the score 50-14 after the two-point conversion.

The Rebels added a score late in the running clock fourth quarter