CAMDEN — Wilcox Academy shut out Sumter after the first quarter, and that was all she wrote.

After leading 14-0 after the first two quarters, the Wildcats went on to a 27-13 victory to open their season.

“We were a lot better than the scrimmage against Jackson last week,” said Wilcox coach Chris Burford. “We simplified things this week, and I think it helped. We had a lot of juniors and sophomores playing, and they did well.”

Clay Watson scored three touchdowns for the Wildcats, one of them on an interception that he returned for a score. He had 79 yards on 16 carries.

Morgan Harper got into the end zone a fourth time for Wilcox, and he was the team’s leading rusher on the night with 113 yards.

Luke McNeece added 91 yards on 12 touches.

Sumter finally got on the board late in the third quarter, but Wilcox all but negated that score with two more touchdowns in the quarter, making it a 27-7 ball game.

Sumter made one last dash to the end zone in the fourth and failed to convert the extra point.

Wilcox didn’t pass the ball much — 1-of-3 for 6 yards — but it didn’t have to. The Wildcats outgained Sumter 316-254 on the ground.

Defensively, Malcolm Strickland led Wilcox with 10 tackles, and Cody Couch had seven. Watson, McNeece Jamie Jackson and Bo Dunnam all had six tackles.