Hattiesburg coach Tony Vance has a saying, which he’s picked up from former coaching colleagues, when he leaves his office Thursday night after a week of preparation for an opponent.
“The hay is in the barn.”
“The hard work is over and it’s time to get ready for the game,” Vance said.
There’s no other way to put it, the Hattiesburg Tigers are rolling right now. They’ve averaged 58.5 points per game in their four district games, and teams are only scoring 16 points against them. Vance said he’s been consistent with his preparations every week since he’s been in Hattiesburg, but the 2017 team is a little different.
“I think our team is going out and performing and executing at a higher level than ever before,” he said. “I think it’s that more than anything else. We have a solid group of seniors, and it’s the biggest senior class we’ve ever had. We have 28 seniors on our football team, and it’s guys who have been doing it for a few years.”
The Tigers (8-0, 4-0 in Region 4-5A) will definitely need a week’s worth of preparation this week, as they get ready for a showdown with Picayune (7-1, 4-0) that’ll give one team sole possession of first place in the region with two games to play.
Vance was quick to say anything could happen in those two, too, despite who wins Friday night.
“To have a chance to take over sole possession of first place, it’s a great opportunity for us and we’re looking forward to it,” he said.
Picayune’s lone loss came in the season opener to undefeated 4A Poplarville by three points. Since, the Maroon Tide has handled 6A teams like D’Iberville, Pascagoula and Gulfport, and they’ve had impressive wins in region-play, too.
By all accounts, it’s the same ol’ Picayune team as years past.
“Yeah, it never changes. It’s the same,” Vance said.
The Maroon Tide has run the ball 368 times compared to just 55 passing attempts, and they’ve totaled 2,767 yards and 36 touchdowns through the first eight games. Senior Shaun Anderson leads the way with 1,531 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 170 carries.
Vance also noted Picayune got senior David Baker back from injury to help boost the running back group even more. He rushed the ball 12 times for 117 yards and two scores last week against Long Beach.
“He’s back and he’s definitely one of the emotional leaders, and you can tell by just watching film,” Vance said. “They have a really good ball club, so we have to go to Picayune and go take care of business.”
Defensively, Picayune is just as strong there, too. It’s racked up 62 tackles for a loss, 25 sacks, six interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries. The most any team has scored on the Maroon Tide was Stone’s 35 points, but they’ve held four opponents to 14 points or less. However, they’ve allowed 26 and the 35 points to Stone the last two weeks.
“Their defensive line may be the best we’ve seen all year to be honest. They play extremely hard,” Vance said.
Hattiesburg junior quarterback Jarod “Snoop” Conner has been as consistent as they come in his first season as the Tigers’ signal caller. He passed for 236 yards and two touchdowns on 15-of-23 passing and he rushed for 138 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries. Both yardages were season-highs, and his four rushing touchdowns were tied for a season best, too.
Vance gave credit to his entire team, especially with how they responded after halftime.
“I thought (Conner) played well, especially in the season half,” Vance said. “I thought our team played well. In the third quarter, in particular, they really rose to the occasion and did what we asked them to do to meet the challenge we issued to them at halftime. I’m just proud of the team, and I think he stepped up in the quarter also.”
