At halftime of last week’s Wayne County-Hattiesburg game, I thought to myself, ‘Wow, this game is pretty close. What’s wrong with Hattiesburg tonight?’
The Tigers were winning 21-6…
Is this where we’re at now? If the Tigers aren’t destroying teams by halftime, I think something is wrong. They were dominating the War Eagles on defense, only allowing one long run that went for a touchdown, and the offense was moving the ball well. I never once thought Hattiesburg was going to lose the game, but I still wondered if Hattiesburg was playing its best game.
Coach Tony Vance will probably say his team wasn’t playing their best game in the first half, but a 21-point third quarter quickly changed the perspective of the night.
I thought about this for a few days after the game. Am I really going to judge Hattiesburg for not blowing teams out from the start of the game? Do I really expect the Tigers to take a 21-0 lead after the first quarter, pushing that to 35-0 at halftime and winning by 40 or 50 points every time?
Well, if you talk to the players, that’s what they expect.
The War Eagles were supposed to be a tough competitor but Hattiesburg put it on them. So that begs another question. Which team in 5A South can hang with the Tigers? The only team I can come up with is Picayune, and wouldn’t you know, those two meet Friday night at D.I. Patrick Stadium.
In last week’s Associated Prep Poll, Hattiesburg was ranked the No. 1 team in 5A and Picayune was fifth. The other three teams hailed from the north half of the state, while West Jones received some votes. The Mustangs, however, fell to Laurel last week, and Hattiesburg pounded its Little Brown Jug rival earlier this season.
If Hattiesburg gets by the Maroon Tide this week, there won’t be another team that can hang with it until, well, it potentially sees Picayune again in the playoffs. I’ve said it all season, if Hattiesburg isn’t playing at M.M. Roberts Stadium in early December, then something went wrong.
I realize that’s a lot of pressure, but the players have put that pressure on themselves and I just have the same expectations the players do.
Quarterback Snoop Conner said it best after his team lost in the 5A State Championship last year. Mere hours after the loss, he wrote on Twitter, “We coming back better and stronger,” and he wasn’t lying.
Conner has to be one of the toughest running quarterbacks in the state and he’s proven he can sling the ball, too. With flashy skill positions players and a dominant defense, Hattiesburg has everything it needs to play for another state championship.
When I judge Hattiesburg for only having a 15-point lead at halftime against a good 5A team, that just shows how far the program has come. Let’s be real, how many teams in the state can we say that about? None in the higher classifications, that’s for sure.
If you haven’t already, go to D.I. Patrick Stadium when the Tigers have a home game. From the pregame to the halftime show provided by the Hattiesburg band, you’ll be entertained.
Oh, and the football team is pretty good, too.
Follow Camal on Twitter via @PineBeltSPORTS or email him: camal@PineBeltSPORTS.com.
