The Oak Grove Warriors’ rushing attack got a boost when the postseason started three weeks ago.
Oak Grove was already averaging 216 yards on the ground per game, but in the last three weeks, it’s pushed its 14-game average to 232 a game. In the three playoff games, the Warriors are rushing for an average of 290 yards per game, too.
That’s because senior Jarius Smith is back from injury.
Smith would have been the starting running back Week 1, but a nagging hamstring injury prevented the senior from seeing the field until the final regular season game at Jim Hill.
“It was a wake-up call for me,” Smith said of his first game back. “They were going to start calling on me now that I’ve shown that I’m healthy.”
He started with just seven rushing attempts in his first game back from injury against Jim Hill, but he gained 65 yards and scored a touchdown. In the three playoff games, he’s picked up 100-yard games in each one. Smith started with 111 rushing yards and a touchdown against Harrison Central, then added a 128-yard, one-touchdown performance when Petal came to town for the second-round matchup. Last week at Brandon, he picked up 108 yards and two scores.
While most running backs have carried the ball 100-plus times at this point in the season, Smith has very little tread on his tires with one more game left to play.
“That’s the guy who we knew we’d have at starting running back at the start of the season,” Oak Grove coach Drew Causey said. “He’s got fresh legs.”
Causey thought Smith could be this caliber of a running back, but there weren’t any statistics from his junior or sophomore seasons to back it up. As a junior, he appeared in the first four games of the season, but he only rushed the ball 18 times for 74 yards.
He missed the rest of the season, as injuries plagued Smith until earlier this month.
“(I had to) prove myself,” Smith said. “I had to prove that I deserve to be in this spot. It was very frustrating. You don’t know how many times I thought about quitting with all of these injuries. My teammates encouraged me to stay for the final ride.”
Since Smith has gotten to the field, Oak Grove has put up its three best, and four of the best six, rushing performances of the season. It’s helped quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, too. He’s had 507 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground in the last three games.
“I’m extremely proud of Jarius,” Plumlee said. “He’s still nicked up and he’s still hurt, but he’s determined, and I really appreciate that.”
Oak Grove has battled injuries from key positions all season long. It lost its two best receivers at various points in the last eight months, and key defensive players throughout the season. Now that Smith is back running the ball, senior receiver Kevin Barnett is back catching the ball and Jack Harris has returned to rush the passer, the Oak Grove Warriors are as healthy as they can be at the most important time of the season.
Smith and the Warriors are set for the 6A State Championship Friday at 7 p.m. against Horn Lake inside Southern Miss’ M.M. Roberts Stadium.
