BOONEVILLE - Jim Drewry's 50 years in coaching has taught him a lot. For instance: Fear the rematch, especially if it's against a team you've soundly beaten.

Booneville needed a crucial penalty and a late defensive stand Friday night to escape Keenum Stadium with a 14-7 MHSAA 3A state quarterfinals victory over Belmont, a team it had smacked 30-7 three weeks ago.

"It's tough getting your team ready to play a team you've already beaten," Drewry said. "We've been harping all week that this wouldn't be the same Belmont team."

Booneville's win against its Division 1-3A rival gives the Blue Devils (13-0) a host berth in next week's semifinal game against Aberdeen, which eliminated unbeaten Charleston in the quarterfinals.

Belmont (9-4) had an opportunity to tie the score with 10 minutes, 33 seconds remaining on a 70-yard pass from Kase Smith to Gage Smith, but the touchdown was nullified by a holding call.

"That saved us there," Drewry said of the penalty.

Cardinals coach Kerry Moody was left to wonder what might have happened had the TD gone on the scoreboard.

"That was a big play," he said, standing outside a quiet Belmont dressing room. "That would have given us a lot of momentum. Still, our kids kept battling. They played hard. I'm proud of them."

Booneville was nearly successful eating up the remainder of the fourth quarter behind the running of Bo Brown. The Blue Devils' big back carried nine of the possession's 13 plays. However, a fumble and an incomplete pass on fourth down gave the Cardinals one more chance with 1:39 left.

On a fourth-and-4 from the Cards' 41-yard line, linebacker Cantrell Hastings sacked Belmont's Kase Smith to seal the Blue Devils' win.

'They got after it'

"Belmont played hard this time; they got after it," said a relieved Booneville quarterback Jeiron Jones.

It was Jones who helped the Blue Devils build a 14-7 halftime lead with his arm and legs.

He rolled to his right and fired a 16-yard strike to Robert Burress for Booneville's first score with 5:22 remaining in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, his 1-yard sneak off right guard capped a 74-yard, eight-play drive and gave the Devils a 14-0 lead with the help of Tyler White's extra points.

Jones had a 32-yard pass completion to Tre Welch and the powerful Brown ripped off a 24-yard gain in the scoring drive.

Belmont answered late in the first half when Kase Smith zipped a pass through three Booneville defenders to Jordan Powell for a 26-yard TD. Tyler Wooten's kick cut the Blue Devils' lead to seven points.

A Blake Burress interception in the end zone stopped a first-quarter Belmont scoring attempt.