Hattiesburg rolled past South Jones last week to pick up its second straight win and stay unbeaten in region play.
However, the Tigers (2-4, 2-0) face a challenging task this week against Florence. The Eagles, who are 5-1, are experiencing a remarkable turnaround after finishing last year 1-9.
Hattiesburg coach Tony Vance credits Florence’s turnaround to the team’s growth in experience and the Eagles’ success on special teams.
“Coach Davis has done a great job with those guys,” Vance said. “I was talking to him earlier this week, and they didn’t have any seniors on their team last year. It was all juniors, so a lot of those guys are back from last year’s team. They are playing really well. They have changed the scheme up a little bit on both sides of the ball. That really fits their personnel. I think they are doing a great job. I think offensively they are more of a Wing-T type team now when they need to be or want to be.”
“Another thing that jumps out is the special teams. Through the film that we have seen, they have six returns for touchdowns, so they have done a great job on special teams.”
Florence lost its first game of the season in a narrow 21-15 loss to Wayne County last week.
Leading Florence’s offense are running back Xzavion Quick and Bogan Kameron. Quick has rushed for 697 yards and six touchdowns, while Kameron has put up 411 yards and nine touchdowns. Florence’s quarterback Robert Reed has had solid success as he has tossed for 258 yards and three touchdowns, as well as run for 130 yards and four touchdowns.
“They are both big backs,” Vance said. “I think (Quick) has a little bit more speed than (Kameron). Both of them are big backs and are right at about 200 pounds. Watching them on film, they are probably six feet and run hard. They are not guys that are going to try and make you miss; they are going to run over you or around you. But they have the skill set to do both. Then, of course, the quarterback is back from last year. I thought he did a really good job of throwing the football.
“Those two guys running the ball have been a big difference for him. They use those guys to get on the edge as well. When they want to, they’ll get into the shotgun and hand it off.”
Florence’s defense has held teams to an average of 10.3 points per game. As a defense, the Eagles have racked up 47 tackles for loss and 15 turnovers. One of the key pieces to the Eagles’ defense is Mississippi State commit Zakari Tillman. The three-star recruit has 29 tackles and eight tackles for loss this season. Another name to watch is cornerback Courtland Battee who has hauled in four interceptions and a fumble recovery.
“We’ve got to win,” Vance said. “A minimum of five games is what it’s going to take to make the playoffs. We have to try to get in and win No. 3 three this week, knowing the gauntlet is coming. I told someone earlier in the week that the playoffs start for us now for intensive purposes. We can’t afford to lose a game.
“Obviously, it’s going to be a tough game on the road.”
The Tigers will go on the road to face Florence, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
