The stage is set for the 6A South State Championship, and although the state championship will be held just a few miles away from Oak Grove High School, the Warriors must travel 80-plus miles to take on the Brandon Bulldogs.
Both teams played rivals in the second round, and the Warriors stopped Petal’s comeback bid while Brandon stuffed Pearl’s two-point conversion in overtime to win by 1.
When the two played earlier this season, the Warriors were in a position to get the win. However, a few ill-timed mistakes gave the Bulldogs the edge despite Oak Grove having more yards, first downs, and for most the part, controlling the game.
Brandon converted the go-ahead field goal with just a few seconds left in the game, then scored a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff when Oak Grove fumbled. Oak Grove led 14-0 in the second half, too, but the Bulldogs scored all 31 points in the final quarter and a half.
“They have a great team and I thought we played really well on defense,” Oak Grove coach Drew Causey said. “I didn’t feel like we blocked very well offensively, but we’ve gotten a lot better the last few weeks. I know they won the kicking game, so that’s definitely an area where we have to be a lot better.”
The Warriors have won four straight since the Oct. 19 loss, and they’ve scored at least 45 points in the last three games. It’s the first playoff appearance since 2015 for Oak Grove, but preparing the last two weeks doesn’t feel any different for Causey or his players.
“It’s just colder,” senior quarterback John Rhys Plumlee joked after the game.
“We have another week of practice and get another game in. That’s always nice,” Causey said. “It’s nice being one of the last four in 6A. That’s about it. We’ve kept our same routine and we haven’t really changed anything. I think the only difference is we’re in sweatpants, sweat suits and toboggans.”
Brandon hasn’t lost a game since August, and it’s taken down rival Pearl two out of the last three weeks to get to this point. The Bulldogs are averaging 31 points per game, and they’ve scored at least that amount or more in 11 of their 14 games.
The Bulldogs don’t have a lot of playmakers, but the ones they do have are putting up impressive seasons. Junior quarterback Will Rogers has 2,718 yards, 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 60 percent passing. Senior running back Dallas Smith adds 1,566 rushing yards and 15 scores on 296 carries, and senior receiver Jonathan Mingo has 1,293 yards and 14 scores on 70 receptions.
Smith led the offense the first time against Oak Grove, rushing for 136 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries, while Rogers threw for 146 yards and Mingo collected 112. Both passing touchdowns were to Mingo, too.
“The quarterback is very talented and they have two or three wide receivers who are very good. (Mingo) is s stud,” Causey said. “The running back is a big, thick kid who’s hard to get down. The offensive line does a great job of getting on people. We’re going to have to play really, really good.”
The Brandon defense allowed Oak Grove to gain 322 total yards, with 168 rushing and 154 passing. The Warriors have two key offensive players, senior running back Jarius Smith and senior receiver Kevin Barnett, back from injury, which gives Plumlee more options. Oak Grove gained 504 yards offensively against Petal last week, and 488 yards the week prior against Harrison Central.
Both Oak Grove and Brandon are familiar with each other, so it’ll come down to which team makes the most plays.
“They know what we’re going to do and we know what they’re going to do,” Causey said. “It’s going to come down to whichever group executes the best.”
