SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. — After a sputtering start, top-ranked, defending Class 1A state champion South Pittsburg finally found its playoff stride early in the second half Friday night.

The Pirates led by only seven points midway through the second quarter, but two touchdowns in less than a minute to open the third quarter helped them pull away for a 41-6 first-round victory over Clay County.

“That was not our best effort,” Pirates coach Vic Grider said. “We just did way too many sloppy things. It wasn’t us. I don’t know if the kids got caught up in the seedings or what, but we have to realize it’s the playoffs and we’re going to get everybody’s best shot.

“We’re a marked team and we’ve got to do a better job of accepting that role. We just weren’t very sharp at all, and that’s disappointing.”

Clay County’s ball-control offense was able to limit South Pittsburg to four first-half possessions. But the Pirates scored on three of those, twice on runs by David Jones, who had 112 of his 125 yards in the first half. After Jones’ third touchdown of the night early in the third period, the Pirates struck again 17 seconds later when Jiajuan Fennell returned an interception 27 yards for a score.

Clay County, which had scored 30-plus points seven times this season, was held to 100 yards of total offense, and the Pirates eventually invoked the mercy rule for the fourth time in six playoff games dating to last season.

“We’ve got guys who can put a lot of pressure on folks defensively,” Grider said. “We’ve got a lot of weapons that can score quick, and that’s a luxury.”

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