BUNN — With starting quarterback Deshawn High unavailable due to an ankle injury, Bunn turned to its other offensive weapons -- along with a staunch defense -- to secure a first-round victory Friday against North Brunswick in the Class 2-AA State Football Playoffs.

Senior running back Tarik Cohen rushed for 262 yards and three touchdowns, and Dillon Autrey found Johnathan Alston on three passes for 100 yards as Bunn blitzed the Scorpions by a 36-0 margin.

On defense, the Wildcats limited North Brunswick to 140 yards while forcing seven turnovers en route to eliminating the Scorpions for the second straight season.

“Cohen is a Division I athlete, and Dillon played a great game,’’ said BHS head coach Chris Miller. “Dillon did exactly what we wanted him to do, and the guys rallied around him.’’

Bunn moved into the second round with a 9-2 overall record, while North Brunswick’s campaign ended at 6-6.

The Wildcats will host SouthWest Edgecombe next Friday.

Cohen got the Wildcats going on their first series of the game with a long burst that set up a 26-yard field goal from Freeman Jones.

After forcing a Scorpions’ punt, Bunn’s Autrey, who was subbing for High, located Alston for a 48-yard touchdown pass that gave Bunn a 10-0 advantage with 1:08 remaining in the opening quarter.

The Wildcats’ next drive ended with a fumble, but the Scorpions misplayed a handoff into the end zone for a BHS safety.

After the ensuing kick, Bunn put together an 8-play, 45-yard drive that featured a 21-yard pass from Autrey to Alston -- along with four runs from Cohen.

Cohen’s final attempt resulted in a 5-yard touchdown, and Bunn was in command at 19-0 just 48 ticks before intermission.

Cohen tacked on two more rushing scores in the second half as the Wildcats continued to pull away.