Oak Grove continues to roll as the Warriors are still the consensus No. 1 ranked team in Mississippi.
Although there is no shortage of good teams in Region 3-7A, this week’s matchup with Brandon is a game that Warrior fans have had circled for quite some time.
“They have a very good football team,” Oak Grove coach Drew Causey said. They are coached really well. We are going to have to play really well on Friday night. We are going to have to do something better than what we have been doing lately. I think our kids will be up for it. It should be a lot of fun.”
Since the 2018 South State matchup between the two powerhouses, the largest margin of victory has been just 11 points, with one score deciding the last five meetings.
The Bulldogs got off to a surprising 0-2 start but have since won four straight, outscoring their opponents 140-50. Last week, Brandon defeated Petal 54-17.
“You play a Picayune team that’s really talented and then a Madison Central team that is really talented,” said Causey on Brandon’s 0-2 start. “Those games could have gone either way. They just so happened to lose those two. They are playing really good football right now. They played really well last week against Petal.”
Brandon features two familiar faces with quarterback Landon Varnes and running back Nate Blount IV. This season, Varnes has tossed for 1,182 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 60% of his passes. Quincy Phillips Jr. has been Varnes’ go-to target, as he has hauled in 43 catches for 455 yards and three touchdowns.
“They are athletic,” Causey said. “Their quarterback is really talented. They have a really talented running back. They just do a good job of getting the ball to their playmakers. Defensively, they are fast and have a really athletic defense. They do a lot of good things.”
However, the backbone of Brandon’s offense is Blount, who has run for 803 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Blount, who stands at 5-foot-10 and 220 pounds, currently holds offers from Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe.
“He’s very similar to what he was last year,” Causey said. “He’s probably a little bit bigger and a little bit stronger. He has always run hard. He’s a tough-nosed kid that I think is extremely talented.”
Oak Grove outlasted Meridian last week 45-35 to open region play with a win. Despite facing Meridian’s star running back Daniel Hill last week, who is rated a four-star recruit, Causey believes that facing Hill doesn’t compare to preparing for Blount.
“It’s a completely different offense compared to last week,” Causey said. “Daniel Hill was taking every snap in the ball game. But our guys see a physical running back with (Kylin) Champagne every week. I think it’s something that they are used to. We have to play really well in the box. Our front seven has to control the game on defense. If we can do that and we tackle well, then we have a good shot to win the football game.”
Notably, Champagne scored four touchdowns and ran for 152 yards last week. This season, he has run for 521 yards and seven touchdowns. However, Causey expects to see more pressure from Brandon’s defense.
“They have changed a little bit,” said Causey regarding Brandon’s defense. “They have gone from a three-down front to more of a four-down front. They still bring a lot of pressure. The good thing for us is that I feel like we are playing pretty well offensively. That’s something that’s going to have to continue. Our offensive line is going to have to play well to where we can run the ball when we want and throw it when we want. If our offensive line plays well, then I feel confident we’ll have a chance to win the football game.”
Oak Grove hosts Brandon on Friday, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
