Week two of high school football and my first Hattiesburg predictions of the season are here. This year, I’ll choose six games each week from our 12 teams in the Hattiesburg area and Covington County to pick. Without further ado, here’s how I see things shaking out this week…
Laurel (1-0) at Hattiesburg (1-0): The Tigers and Tornadoes are set to butt heads Saturday night for the 97th time in the Battle for the Little Brown Jug. The rich got richer this past offseason. With the addition of even more Division I level talent via transfer, Hattiesburg has become a trendy pick to make another run and finish the job this season. The Tigers are also looking to retain the Jug for a fifth consecutive year. They have the hype and D.I. Patrick Stadium behind them, but don’t expect Laurel to be intimidated by the talent or atmosphere in the slightest. Just like last year, I expect we’ll see a competitive game from start to finish. The key for Laurel will be stopping or, at the very least, limiting Jarod “Snoop” Conner on the ground. That will be a tall task…
Hattiesburg 31, Laurel 27
Oak Grove (1-0) at Wayne County (1-0): Oak Grove had some questions answered last week. Newcomers Nick Milsap and Jordan D’Errico delivered at running back, and the team’s defense shined, allowing just seven points in a blowout, 49-7 win over Purvis. The Warriors were expected by most to win that one convincingly, and plenty will rightly expect another win this week. It should be a lot more competitive though. Wayne County did in fact hold West Jones to just 127 yards last week in their 10-6 win. But the Mustangs are not exactly known for their offense these days. Oak Grove, on the other hand, has Georgia commit and quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, who torched the War Eagles for over 300 yards and six touchdowns last season. I wouldn’t expect the same stat line this year, but Plumlee should, again, lead the Warriors to a 2-0 start.
Oak Grove 34, Wayne County 17
Jeff Davis County (1-0) at Collins (1-0): This has to be one of the most highly-anticipated games of the 2018 season. The Jaguars made quite the debut last year, winning Class 3A in dominant fashion over Yazoo County. In week two, they edged Collins, 22-20, and the Tigers proceeded to win 12 straight before getting put out of the playoffs by Taylorsville. Collins returns 14 total starters from last year, and Jeff Davis is young at a few spots. But expectations are equally high for both squads. I realize both teams are pretty evenly matched, and that Collins hasn’t lost a home game in nearly two years, but there’s just something about Jeff Davis that makes it very hard to pick against them here. They are top dog right now, so I’ll roll with them in what should be a tight ballgame.
Jeff Davis 34, Collins 31
Sumrall (1-0) at Wesson (0-0): Sumrall’s 36-7 win over South Jones last week definitely caught my attention. I realize South Jones is in rebuild mode, but they still have a star quarterback in John Mitchell. Also, Sumrall was starting Dannis Jackson at quarterback for the first time since week one last year. And the Bobcats didn’t get a chance to play their jamboree last week due to the rain, so the team’s conditioning concerned head coach Shannon White leading into week one. None of that mattered. The Bobcats started in style, and their opponent this week, Wesson, could be a little rusty after their first game against Crystal Springs was cancelled midway through the first half last Friday night. Sumrall should keep it rolling and start 2-0 for the first time since 2013.
Sumrall 36, Wesson 21
Petal (0-1) at Gulfport (1-0): The Panthers have to put last week’s loss to Hattiesburg behind them quick if they hope to beat the Admirals for a second consecutive year. If the Hattiesburg game was any indication though, Petal could experience some growing pains the next few weeks, as the team searches for answers and improvements at key spots. Said Panther coach Marcus Boyles, “We gotta catch the ball better, we gotta throw the ball better, block better, run better and tackle better.” Gulfport will be another tough challenge. The Admirals are led on offense by quarterback and Southern Miss commit TQ Newsome, and on defense by one of the top linebackers in the country, Derick Hall. My gut tells me Petal will take its lumps these first few weeks but start to figure things out, like they always seem to do, in district play.
Gulfport 24, Petal 21
Purvis (0-1) at West Marion (1-0): Much like Petal, Purvis has started slow in non-district play the last few years. The Tornadoes opened the season last Friday with a 49-7 loss to Oak Grove, so you know Brad Hankins and company are anxious to get back out there. This week, they’ll face a West Marion squad that showed some glimpses against PCS last Thursday. Then again, the Bobcats are in full rebuild mode and still hung around in that one for a little while. Look for Purvis quarterback Mason Kendrick to be more like the Mason Kendrick we’ve seen in year’s past—someone who can throw the ball and run it quite effectively when he’s in a rhythm and when his team is counted out. I see the Tornadoes bouncing back and winning a close one.
Purvis 28, West Marion 27
