Tyrell Price accounted for four touchdowns, Jamarcus Quarles ran for three, and Lafayette inched closer to a second straight region championship with a 49-14 win over New Albany on Friday at William L. Buford Stadium.

The Commodores (8-1, 3-0 Region 2-4A) grabbed control early and virtually put the game away by halftime. All three of Price’s rushing touchdowns came in the first eight minutes of the game, and Quarles made it 28-0 before the first quarter was over with a 12-yard scamper.

Lafayette, which has won five straight, can clinch the Region 2-4A title with a win at Senatobia next Friday.

Price’s scoring runs covered 66, 1 and 26 yards, and the senior running back snuck out of the backfield to haul in Will Ard’s lone touchdown pass for a 41-yard score to give Lafayette a 49-7 halftime lead. The Commodores scored the first 42 points, getting additional touchdown runs of 13 and 2 yards from Quarles before New Albany (4-5, 1-2) got on the board with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Sam McMillin with 3:09 left before halftime.

Price, who ran his season touchdown total to 24, sat in the second half, finishing with 106 yards on just five carries. Quarles had eight carries for 43 yards while Ard went 9-for-10 for 184 yards.

Lafayette scored 28 points off four Bulldog turnovers, all coming in the first half. New Albany mustered just 156 yards of offense against the Commodores’ defense, which forced three fumbles and got an interception from Xavier Martin.

New Albany’s second score came from its defense when Miller Dunnam recovered backup quarterback Ross Ingram’s fumble in the end zone with 9:24 left in the third quarter.