Hard to believe we’ve already arrived at week three of high school football season. I went 6-3 with my picks last week. I’d say that’s not too bad, but with another slate of games under my belt, I’m striving for even better this week. So without further ado, here’s how I see things shaking out this week in the Hattiesburg-area.
Sumrall (1-1) at Sacred Heart (2-0)-This is where I plan to be Friday night. I haven’t got a chance to see either of these teams yet in person, so I’m excited. From what I’ve heard, Sacred Heart has looked really good, and their record supports that. Sumrall opened the season with a blowout loss to South Jones, only to bounce back last week against Wesson. So who needs the win more? Throw playoff positioning out of the window because we’re not there yet. Side note: I see both of these teams making it there come late October. But back to the question at hand: Who needs it more? I’d say Sumrall. The Bobcats are still searching for answers on the offensive side. Better to figure things out now before district play starts. We got a glimpse of what Sumrall could do last week with Billy Garrity at quarterback and Dannis Jackson back to his natural position at wide receiver. It worked against Wesson, and I look for the same this week against Sacred Heart.
Sumrall 35, Sacred Heart 24
Oak Grove (2-0) at Laurel (1-1)-Another great candidate for Game of the Week. Truth be told, every game Oak Grove plays in this year might be that. The Warriors have been nothing short of dominant to this point. In their two wins, they’ve outscored the opposition a combined 87-10. And it’s not like they’ve been playing cupcakes. No, I would not consider Purvis nor Wayne County to be that. Oak Grove is back to its winning ways, which is great for Mississippi high school football. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee is special and continues to amaze me. As a whole, the offense looks unstoppable. Defensively, could you find a bigger more talented group in all of the state? Maybe. Then again, maybe not. There might be one or two teams in all of the state that can beat Oak Grove right now. Laurel is not one of them.
Oak Grove 38, Laurel 17
Petal (1-1) at Brother Martin (La) (1-0)-Petal makes the trip to New Orleans for this Saturday affair. Not too often you see a team travel out of state to play a ballgame. And on a Saturday, too? What’s up with that? Well, there is a connection between the two schools. Petal defensive coordinator Philip Pigott got his start in coaching at Brother Martin in 2009. So he certainly had a great deal of influence in the Panthers scheduling the Crusaders this season. Pigott and his defense were a big reason why Petal picked up their first win of the season last week against Gulfport. I do not expect much to change this week.
Petal 24, Brother Martin 21
Moss Point (1-1) at Hattiesburg (2-0)-Right next to teams like Oak Grove and PCS, Hattiesburg looks like the real deal. Truthfully, I thought this team missed out on its window to win its first state championship. With guys like Julian Conner and Jordan Murphy gone, I thought the window was closed. Well, I was wrong. This Hattiesburg team is looking better and better by each passing week. To no one’s surprise, the offense looks electric, while defense and special teams is much-improved. Moss Point has played some teams tough in the early going, but none of them are of Hattiesburg’s caliber. Few teams are. Friday night will be an eye-opening experience for the Tigers. The Tigers of Moss Point that is.
Hattiesburg 45, Moss Point 14
Purvis (1-1) at Columbia Academy (1-1)-With the offensive weapons they possess, Purvis is due for a huge win any week now. It could very well come against Columbia Academy, a squad that’s looked quite shaky on the defensive side of the ball. The Tornadoes took a significant step forward last week in their first win of the season. As previously mentioned, the offense is more than ready to do the same. I expect that will be the case. Jon Bolton, CJ Bolar and plenty others will be way too much for the Cougars in this one.
Purvis 42, Columbia Academy 17
Adams County Christian (2-0) at PCS (2-0)-Before we get into this prediction, I gotta give a shoutout to Joey Hawkins. Hawkins coached his 100th game with the Bobcats last week, a 42-20 win over Columbia Academy. Overall his record there is 67-33. Kind of astounding considering the program won a total of 24 games prior to his arrival in 2009. So kudos to you, Coach Hawkins. Back to the prediction, this should be a good test for PCS and Hawkins if we wants win No. 68. Still, it’s hard for me to pick against the Bobcats, a team that hasn’t lost a home regular season game in nearly two years. It will be close, but I see PCS moving to 3-0 this week.
PCS 31, Adams County Christian 28
FCAHS (1-1) at Pearl River Central (0-2)-Once again, we get PRC’s Larry Dolan facing off against his former team, Forrest County AHS. Unlike last season’s matchup, which the Blue Devils won, both teams are currently in a little bit of a rebuild. The Aggies have been up and down offensively and defensively. On the other hand, the Blue Devils have yet to take a positive step forward. In two games this season, Pearl River Central has been outscored 77-6. FCAHS has shown, at the very least, they can put up some points here and there, so I’m leaning towards the Aggies in this matchup. Either way, it will be close.
FCAHS 27, Pearl River Central 21
Columbia (2-0) at North Forrest (0-2)-North Forrest was one of the teams I was off on last week, as they took a tough double overtime loss to Magee. Things will not get much easier this week against a Columbia team that is much-improved. I expect the Eagles will take their lumps in non-district play and turn things around, much like they did last season, when district rolls around.
Columbia 35, North Forrest 21
Northeast Jones (0-2) at Collins (0-2)-Collins was a play away last week from beating Jefferson Davis County, a team many expect to contend for a state title this season. Things should get significantly easier this week for Collins with Northeast Jones coming to town. Ravaged by injuries in the early going, NEJ looks to be in store for a tough season. Collins, on the other hand, is coming, folks. These Tigers have been oh-so close to picking up their first win, losing by a combined five points to JDC and Seminary. Eric Booth has this team headed in the right direction. That will show Friday night.
Collins 28, Northeast Jones 14
Seminary (2-0) at Poplarville (2-0)-Yes, Seminary is 2-0, but they’ve played teams that are a combined 0-4 this season. Now comes the real challenge, the Poplarville Hornets. The Hornets made it all the way to the Class 4A title game last season and look primed to do the same or even better in 2017. So calling this a measuring stick type of game for the Bulldogs might just be an understatement. The key for Seminary will be stopping or, at the very least, limiting Austin Bolton, one of the top running backs in the state. Does Seminary have a player that can match or exceed his production? Maybe. If so, they have just not found him yet. I’ll roll with what I know, and that’s that Poplarville is, once again, legit.
Poplarville 31, Seminary 17
Mount Olive (1-1) at St. Patrick (0-1)-It’s easy to see that Mount Olive is on the fast track back to relevancy under Dante Durr. The Pirates are competing hard each and every week with hopes of making it back to the postseason in 2017. This week they will face a St. Patrick team that’s struggled mightily the last few years. To be exact, the Fighting Irish have not won a game since 2014, so it’s hard for me not to roll with Mount Olive here.
Mount Olive 28, St. Patrick 10
