Running backs Courtland Harris and EJ Newell have been unsung heroes in Oak Grove’s high-powered offense – that is until the duo accounted for 173 yards and two touchdowns in the Warriors’ 37-20 win over rival Petal.
“They are just a good one-two punch,” Oak Grove coach Drew Causey said. “They both run extremely hard, and both of them have great character. Neither one of them care who starts and whenever one does something good, and the other is happy for him and vise versa. They are two great kids, and I am glad to have them.”
Entering this year’s rivalry game, many would have expected to see each side’s passing game go head-to-head as Oak Grove averaged 200 yards passing yards a game and Petal averaged 275 yards per game.
Instead, Harris and Newell not only kickstarted the Warrior offense but also sealed the win. The two split the workload almost right down the middle. For context, Harris entered the game with 34 carries, 202 yards and three touchdowns while Newell had 38 carries, 190 yards and two touchdowns.
The two teammates’ dynamic is different and is, in fact, very laid back since the two teammates don’t care about the stats but are focused on just winning.
“It’s a laid-back relationship,” Harris said. “We don’t get mad about who is getting the touchdowns as long as we are winning.”
It’s a regular sight to see one or the other orchestrate a drive downfield and then have the other score and finish off the drive.
“It’s typical for us to switch in and out,” Newell said. “(We’re) laid back. We have good chemistry. We take turns, and we don’t mind sharing. We just want to win.”
The game’s start indicated that it would be a different script as both Petal and Oak Grove scored their first touchdowns of the game through the ground.
After exchanging field position for most of the first quarter, Newell broke the stalemate with an 11-yard touchdown run to give Oak Grove a 7-0 lead.
Petal (2-3, 0-2) answered less than 30 seconds later as Jeremiah Robinson broke a 79-yard touchdown run to bring the score to 7-6.
After Oak Grove (4-0, 2-0) extended its lead with a 21-yard field goal, quarterback Kabe Barnett threw a 14-yard touchdown pass in what proved to be the most effective passing play of the half.
Robinson took it the house again on a 29-yard touchdown run to narrow the score 17-14.
“The two long runs he had, we weren’t in our right gaps, and we had one guy that wasn’t in his gap, so they popped,” Causey said. “They hit the hole right where they wanted.”
However, each passing game was virtually ineffective in the first half. Barnett finished the half 7-of-18 and passed for 46 yards, two interceptions, and a touchdown while Petal quarterback Jackson Allen was 1-of-7 and threw for 40 yards and an interception.
The Panthers, who have now lost their third straight game, continue to have their second half linger as Petal could not make the right adjustments to develop consistency on offense, which regularly gave Oak Grove favorable field position.
However, Barnett was able to adjust and bounce back by throwing and scoring a touchdown in the second half and to extend the Warriors’ lead 30-14.
“He was a little bit off,” Causey said. “It was the first time he started in this ball game. It was a big atmosphere, and he’ll learn from it. He’ll play better from it. Kabe is very talented. He still came back in the second half and threw a touchdown pass, and we felt like he handled it really well.”
However, Allen managed to narrow the score 30-20 by throwing a 65-yard touchdown to Micah Cherry early in the fourth quarter.
Instead, Harris managed to put the game away as Oak Grove faced a fourth and one in Petal’s territory and broke out an 11-yard touchdown run to put the game away.
“It’s always fun to win this game,” Causey said. “Both sides played really hard.
“The running backs did a heck of a job. The passing game was a little off tonight, but it was a great team effort.”
Petal coach Marcus Boyles declined to comment.
