As usual, the Battle for Hattiesburg has no shortage of athletes, and the two programs share a great deal of respect for one another.
But for Oak Grove and Hattiesburg, the circumstances are somewhat different, as each team is in need of momentum.
Oak Grove is off to another 2-0 start, but things have been shaky for the Warriors after starting the season with two nail-biting wins.
The Warriors impressively overcame a 20-0 deficit to Wayne County last week as they pulled off a 26-23 win. Kicker Luke Steward hit a game-winning 51-yard field goal as time expired. Quarterback Anthony Maddox also threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns as he was 27-for-47 with an interception.
Oak Grove coach Drew Causey is focused on having his team put together a complete game and play up to its potential.
“We weren’t finishing drives on offense,” Causey said. “We had a couple of guys in the backend of the secondary that had a couple of busted coverages that cost us in the first half. Our kids fought and battled. I think it shows their character and willingness to lay everything on the line.
“We have eight new starters on offense. You’ve also five or six new coaches on our staff that is trying to figure each other out as the season goes, but our kids battled. There was never any finger-pointing or anything like that when we’re down. It was just figuring out how to score. Once we figured out how to score, it kind of had everyone take a deep breath and relax, and then we executed the whole fourth quarter.”
While Hattiesburg coach Tony Vance has great regard for Oak Grove on both sides of the ball, running back JQ Gray garners the bulk of his attention. Last week, Gray accumulated 99-yards of total offense and scored a touchdown.
“He’s a dynamic player,” Vance said. “He is electric with the ball in his hand. He has great speed. They use him in a multitude of ways. We have to know where he is when the ball is snapped.
“They are really good on defense like they always are. Offensively, I know they are starting a new quarterback. Anytime you start a new quarterback, it’s always going to be some challenges early. Once they get it figured out, they seem to get going.”
As for Hattiesburg (0-2), things could not have started worse for a team that looked to be a team primed for success in the offseason.
The Tigers were hit with the injury bug after losing its two quarterbacks, Tavares Wade and Deuce Vance, during the season opener. Hattiesburg was without both players last week and played freshman quarterback Tristan Keys in the 35-6 loss to Ocean Springs.
The Tigers have now learned that Wade, who was the team’s leader in rushing yards and touchdowns last year, is out for the season, while Deuce Vance’s injury is still day to day.
“I think we have to (replace Wade’s production) by committee,” Vance said. “We have to try and fill that void. It’s not a single guy that we’re going to put on his shoulders to be Wade. You have to do it by committee.
“I don’t think we start tweaking the offense; we have to get better at what we are doing. That’s what it boils down to. You go back and watch the film. We are not that far away from being pretty good on offense.”
Despite the problems on offense, Hattiesburg’s defense has played well and held Ocean Springs quarterback Brayson Hubbard, who is committed to Alabama, to 100 passing yards and just 56 rushing yards. The Tigers also came up with two interceptions against the stud quarterback.
Causey is well aware of Hattiesburg’s defensive success, particularly four-star recruit Tabias Hinton, who is committed to Mississippi State but stresses the unit is filled with talent.
“If you watch that defense on film, that defense is fast, and they fly around,” Causey said. “They are very talented. I think it’s going to be the best defense we face in these first few opening games.
“(Hinton) is very talented. He runs extremely well. He’s big. You definitely have to know where he’s at on the field at all times, but he’s not the only player he’s got. They are very athletic and run fast. They are going to hit you hard and tackle well. I felt like the score last week didn’t indicate how well played they played. I thought they played very well on defense. We expect to get Hattiesburg’s best game.”
Oak Grove leads the all-time series at 15-7, having also won the last three meetings.
The Warriors will host the Tigers with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.
