Week seven of high school football season is here. Here are our game predictions for teams in the Hattiesburg-area and Covington County.
Petal (2-3) at Oak Grove (4-1)-Well, here we are. The Pine Belt’s biggest rivalry is back in a big way. Do not mind the records. Petal is coming off a narrow loss to top-ranked Pearl and another to a really good Laurel team. Both teams lost to Hattiesburg, a team I see playing for a state title come December. So saying both are tested might just be an understatement. The must-see matchup in this one has to be Oak Grove’s offense versus Petal’s defense. The Warriors are averaging 35 points a game and got quarterback John Rhys Plumlee back from injury last week, while Petal’s defense is historically great and pushed Pearl around a ton last week. Can the Panthers contain Plumlee? If so, I could see Petal winning this game. But truth is, I do not see that happening, especially if he’s back or close to full health. I’m hoping for a close game because going back to 2014, the last three meetings have been blowouts. We should see that streak snapped. In the end, I see Plumlee and the Warriors making a few more plays down the stretch and avenging last season’s loss to the Panthers.
Oak Grove 35, Petal 28
Sumrall (4-2) at Purvis (2-3)-This is one of those weeks where I wish was more than one person. My plan is to be at Petal-Oak Grove, so I’ll miss out on this one. Should be a really good game. The Tornadoes are coming off a key win over Seminary, while Sumrall had their four-game win streak snapped by Pass Christian last week. Feels like Déjà vu after last season’s matchup, but unlike that game, I see this one being very, very close. When they’re clicking, both teams can put up a whole lot of points. Unlike Sumrall, we’re still waiting for that light to click for Purvis. They’re averaging about 21 points a game, which is not bad. Still, I think most expected better with the explosive playmakers they have. Purvis has dominated the rivalry as of late, winning the previous five matchups by a combined 190-48. Do not expect that gap to get much wider come late Friday night. The Bobcats have made great strides and are head and shoulders better than they were in previous meetings. With Purvis being at home, I’ll roll with the Tornadoes in a close one. Really a tossup game for me.
Purvis 31, Sumrall 24
Oak Forest Academy (5-0) at PCS (4-2)-Having lost two-straight, PCS is licking their wounds a bit. You know Joey Hawkins and his coaching staff will have the Bobcats ready to turn the page and get back in the win column. Gonna be tough against this Oak Forest Academy team. The Yellowjackets have not played as tough a schedule as the Bobcats, but still, they’re undefeated and have the respect of Hawkins and company. Even with their losing skid, I haven’t quite given up on the Bobcats yet. Yes, they were dominated by Jackson Prep, but the Patriots would probably give most 6A teams trouble. And PCS still has a dominant ground game, which could very well take out some frustrations against the Yellowjackets. Plus, it’s PCS’ homecoming, so you know the Bobcats will play with a little something extra.
PCS 34, Oak Forest Academy 31
St. Patrick (2-3) at North Forrest (4-2)-How about the roll North Forrest has been on the last four weeks? Four-straight wins? Not too shabby. Anthony Dillon’s bunch is coming off a big win over Heidelberg, which I did not see coming, to be honest. Kudos to Dillon and the Eagles. Can you name a team that’s faced this much adversity and excelled to this level? The Eagles had multiple impact players transfer prior to the season and have dealt with several injuries to this point. And even before all of that, depth was a huge question mark. Note to self: Never, never, never again count out North Forrest. The Eagles are playing with a purpose right now. Good luck, St. Patrick.
North Forrest 42, St. Patrick 24
FCAHS (4-2) at Lawrence County (3-3)-The Aggies were humbled a little bit following last week’s 6-0 loss to Hazlehurst. Defense continues to shine, while offense is hit and miss. Lawrence County is ok but not great by any stretch of the imagination. Like the Aggies, the Cougars have struggled to find consistency on offense, so we could see an ugly game Friday night. Who will be able to grind out a tough win? Lawrence County has won two overtime games in the previous three weeks. In my best Lee Corso voice, not so fast my friend. The teams they faced in those games, Franklin County and Bay High, are a combined 0-11. Something tells me the Aggies had a long, rough week of practice after that loss. Jeff Stockstill should have them ready to bounce back.
FCAHS 17, Lawrence County 13
Stone (3-1) at Hattiesburg (5-0)-Look, Stone is a really good team. This still might be a mismatch in Hattiesburg’s favor, which speaks to just how good the Tigers are. Like I said last week, I do not see a team on their schedule that can beat them. That being said, sometimes teams come out flat, and the better team doesn’t always win. If there ever was a trap game for the Tigers, sure, this could be it. The Tomcats have a solid defense that’s played pretty well to this point. But they haven’t faced a team like Hattiesburg. If you’re the Tigers, it would have been hard to script a better start to this season. Their offense is averaging about 43 points a game, and what’s crazy is that I think it can still get better. Stone might keep it close for a quarter, but I see Jarod Conner and these Tigers running all over them before the final whistle.
Hattiesburg 42, Stone 17
West Marion (2-4) at Seminary (3-3)-This is a hard one to pick. Seminary’s defense has looked really good the last two weeks, allowing a combined 19 points in that span. On the other hand, West Marion put up 58 points on Columbia Academy last Friday after scoring only six the previous week against FCAHS. I actually like Seminary a lot. Look at their losses. One was to Poplarville, who as of right now I see winning 4A this season. Another was to Taylorsville, who is 5-1 and looking like a dark horse contender in 2A. The third came last week against Purvis, who I was really high on coming into the season. Seminary’s played a tough a schedule, so 3-3, it ain’t really that bad. On the West Marion side of things, the Trojans just do not have the athletes we’re accustomed to seeing in Foxworth. The 58 points were nice, but a lot of people have done that to Columbia Academy this season. Also, Seminary has won eight-straight regular season home games. Everything points to the Bulldogs extending that streak to nine.
Seminary 27, West Marion 14
Heidelberg (3-3) at Collins (4-2)-Collins continues to make me look good. How? I haven’t picked against the Tigers in their current four-game win streak. The Tigers have won all of those games by at least 20 points. Should be a lot closer this week against a Heidelberg team that has some talent but is slipping a little bit having lost two in row. Collins has the edge in talent, consistency and momentum, so it’s hard for me to pick against them. Really, the Tigers are two or three plays away from being undefeated, having narrowly lost to Lumberton and Jefferson Davis County. I’m rolling with Collins until they lose, which will probably not be anytime soon.
Collins 34, Heidelberg 21
Mount Olive (1-5) at Salem (0-6)-Mount Olive’s struggles in recent years are well-documented. You can say the same thing about Salem, who is 1-17 in their last 18 games dating back to the 2015 season. Mount Olive is 5-13 in that same span, so if you’re feeling blue Pirate fans, just take a gander at the opposition. But seriously, one of these teams is gonna pick up a really nice win Friday night. You hate to see teams like Mount Olive, with the rich history they have, struggle this bad. The Pirates have played a brutal schedule, especially the last few weeks, so you cannot say they’re not tested. That should help a ton this week with a more even playing field. I’ve got the Pirates winning a close one.
Mount Olive 28, Salem 24
