Keith (6-4) put on a show on homecoming and clinched its first winning season since 2012.

Quarterback Jared Edwards ran for two touchdowns and threw two touchdown passes as Keith blew out Central Hayneville 50-26 Friday on homecoming. Edwards also escorted homecoming queen Alexis Hall at halftime.

“Everybody is in a festive mood. I wanted to do what we needed without getting anybody hurt,” said Keith head coach Harry Crum. “We were successful in doing that. I think everybody feels good tonight.”

Senior running back Domonique Jones ran for 129 yards on 10 carries and scored the Bears first touchdown of the night on a 3-yard rush.

Keith led 8-0 after converting the two-point conversion on a fake extra point attempt.

Edwards threw his first touchdown on a 16-yard shovel pass to David Alexander. At that point, the Bears led 14-0 with 7:51 left in the first quarter.

Both of Edwards rushing scores came on quarterback sneaks in the second quarter. The first was set up by a 67-yard rush by Jones, the longest play of the night for either side. Edwards’ second rushing score was set up by a 47-yard jet sweep by Jeashan Black. Keith led 26-0 after failing to convert either two-point try.

Hayneville answered with its only real drive of the first half. Lions’ quarterback Keegan Blackmon threw a 10-yard touchdown with 7.4 seconds left in the second quarter, pulling Hayneville within 26-6.

Any thoughts of a comeback ended on the ensuing kickoff, which Black returned 80 yards to give the Bears a 32-6 lead going into the break.

At that point, the game was all but decided. Many Keith starters sat out the second half, including Jones, who missed last year’s playoff game against Georgiana.

“You don’t want to back into the playoffs, you want to sprint into the playoffs and I think that’s what we did,” Crum said.

Even with some of the reserves in, Keith kept scoring in the second half.

Edwards threw his second touchdown on a 38-yard pass to Marquez Hatcher in the third quarter.

After a second Blackmon touchdown pass got Hayneville on the board again, Keith’s Wilbert Homes scored on a 5-yard rushing touchdown to put Keith up 44-14.

Blackmon threw a third touchdown, but the Bears answered again.

On a drive where he carried the ball five times, Craig Carter ran for a 15 yard score to put Keith ahead 50-20 with 2:40 left.

The Bears will play at New Brockton next week in the 2A playoffs. Hayneville (1-9) saw its season come to a close.