It’s been five years since the last time Hattiesburg defeated crosstown rival Oak Grove in the Battle for the ‘Burg.
This year’s matchup is perhaps the most talked about, as both teams are ranked by various media outlets’ top 10 rankings and feature no shortage of college recruits. The Warriors currently sit at No. 2, while Hattiesburg is ranked No. 8.
“We know they are one of the top schools in the state of Mississippi each and every year,” Hattiesburg coach Tony Vance said. “Every year, you think they might fall off like everyone else, but they just reload. When everybody else rebuilds, they reload. It’s the same thing this year. I don’t know if we’ll play anybody any better all year.
“They are loaded. You look there, and they don’t have a weakness anywhere.”
Both sides bring top-tier defenses that highly recruited defensive linemen lead.
The Tigers (2-0) are led by four-star defensive lineman Kevin Oatis, who recently recruited to Arkansas. Last week, Hattiesburg held Laurel to negative yards in total offense and recorded six sacks and forced four turnovers. The Tiger defense also features three-star defensive back Demarcus Baker and three-star defensive lineman Justin Foster.
“I think for us, we go against our defensive line a pretty good bit already,” said Oak Grove coach Drew Causey on how the Warriors prepare for Oatis. “I think that’s the best way to prepare for a really talented d-line is to go against our own. We feel like we have a good D-line as well. Our guys are used to blocking those guys and how difficult it is. I think that helps to prepare, but you have to know where their guys are, and they have two or three guys up front that are really talented. Their linebackers are athletic and fast. It’s the same with their defensive backs. They are athletic and can run. It’s always a big challenge when you play them.”
Oak Grove’s (2-0) defense features four-star defensive lineman Drew Maddox, who is committed to Ole Miss, as well as three-star recruits Malachi Henderson and Kesler Jenkins.
“You prepare for (Maddox) like you would with anybody that has one of the top d-linemen in the state,” Vance said. “We have to figure out where to block him. He’s a really good player. We can’t just focus on Drew. If we give him too much attention those other ones are going to eat us alive.
“We’ll definitely have our hands full with their front. Their two linebackers are probably as good as anybody in the state. The secondary is as fast as anybody we’ll play all year.”
Like the Warriors’ defense, the offense is filled with college recruits, highlighted by four-star receiver AJ Lewis and three-star running back Kylin Champagne. However, leading the offense is sophomore Kellen Hall, who has thrown for 451 yards and four touchdowns this season.
“I think he is one of the best sophomores that I have ever seen,” Vance said. “He is very poised and has a really strong arm. He can make every throw on the field. He doesn’t get rattled.
“They always have two or three receivers that are special and can make plays. They play two or three running backs, but Kylin Champagne is the one we are most familiar with over the last couple of years. They’ll keep you up at night, too.”
Hattiesburg’s offense also features its fair share of explosiveness, with three-star quarterback Deuce Vance and four-star receiver Tristen Keys, who has hauled in 11 catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns this season.
However, according to Causey, keeping Hattiesburg’s quarterback from running the ball will be a priority. During Vance’s five-touchdown performance last week he ran for 97 yards and two scores.
“We always want to focus on stopping the run first and trying to make somebody one-dimensional,” Causey said. “That’s always the goal. That goal doesn’t change. We know that we have to stop Deuce from running the ball. He’s a huge threat running the ball. They do a great job of designing runs for him, so we have to be prepared for that. We are going to lineup and play man coverage. Everybody knows that, so our guys are going to have to be good and stay glued to their guys the whole time.”
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