Oak Grove continues to roll on after its win over Biloxi in the first round of the 6A playoffs. The undefeated Warriors look to continue their success against Harrison Central.
The Red Rebels opened the playoffs with a 41-29 win over Pearl despite losing two of its last three games of the season.
On offense, Harrison Central features a well-balanced spread offense. The Red Rebels have averaged 198 passing yards, 209 rushing yards and 33 points per game.
“They are a really good team and are coached really well,” Oak Grove coach Drew Causey said. “They have some talented wide receivers. Their quarterback is a good little athlete. They are all over a really good football team.
“They do a great job of throwing the ball and running the ball. They tend to do everything pretty well.”
At quarterback is Christian Turner, who has passed for 26 touchdowns, three interceptions and 1,959 yards on the season while posting a 68% completion rate. Turner has also rushed for 229 yards and six touchdowns on 49 carries.
“He’s a tough kid,” Causey said. “He makes plays by throwing the football and make plays with his feet. He’s a real good football player. They have some designed runs. They do some quarterback runs for him, some zone read and power read. It is very similar to the stuff we see every week. It is very similar to what our defense goes against with us. Their offense is very comparable (to us).”
The key to Turner’s success is his top two wide receivers. Jacobi Moore and Isaiah Atkins have combined for 71 catches, 1,186 yards and 19 touchdowns.
“They are really talented,” Causey said. “One of them is going to Mississippi State, and the other has a track scholarship somewhere. They are athletes with a lot of all-around talent.”
In the backfield, Harrison Central swaps primarily between two running backs. Jaidon McClain has rushed for 735 yards and five touchdowns on 107 carries, while Atavian Ray has totaled 830 yards and seven touchdowns on 74 carries.
“They are quick,” Causey said. “They are both real shifty and are great running backs. If you don’t get them on the ground, they will break a tackle and take one a long way.”
On defense, Harrison Central has held teams to 14 points per game. As a team, the Red Rebels have forced 69 tackles for loss, 38 sacks and 17 turnovers.
“They will play some 3-down and 4-down fronts,” Cause said. “They mix it up pretty good. They play a lot of man coverage. I hope that we see that every day will help us out.”
The main component for the defense’s success is its defensive linemen. Ricky Willis and Hassan Kamara have accounted for 163 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and five turnovers.
“(Willis and Kamara) are quick and athletic and do a great job of rushing the ball,” Causey said. “They make plays. To me, we are going to have to play our best football game this Friday.”
Oak Grove will host the winner of the Northwest Rankin-D’Iberville game.
