Prior to Friday night, Hattiesburg High had not beaten Oak Grove since 2012, the year before Tony Vance took over the Tiger program. That losing skid is now a thing of the past, as Vance and the Tigers knocked off their crosstown rival in impressive fashion, 42-28, at D.I. Patrick Stadium.
“To get that first win against this team that’s been a thorn in our side, that’s one of those humps we have to get over,” Vance said. “I feel like we got over one tonight.”
Vance’s Tigers looked like the dominant team from the get-go. Thanks to touchdown runs from Drexlan Allen, Jarod Conner and Fabian Franklin, the Tigers raced out to a 20-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
“I thought our team came out probably with the best energy I’ve ever seen as a football coach,” Vance said. “The enthusiasm and excitement, they love to play.”
Oak Grove, playing without their star quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, added a touchdown late in the first half when Brandon Hayes scored on an 80-yard run. The extra point was no good, and Hattiesburg took a 20-6 lead into halftime.
Even without Plumlee, who was out with an undisclosed arm injury, the Warriors fought hard, especially in the second half. Following another touchdown run from Conner, the Warriors answered with a touchdown drive that was capped off with a 3-yard run from Jack Harris. Oak Grove quickly got the ball back and put together another one, this time ending in a 59-yard touchdown run from Orlando Simon. A successful two-point conversion pulled the Warriors to within eight points at 28-20.
“That’s a really good football team. No doubt,” Vance said. “They’re going to win a lot of football games and were down one of their studs tonight.”
Meanwhile, one of the Tigers’ many studs, quarterback Jarod Conner, kept running hard. Conner added two more touchdown runs in the fourth quarter that helped seal the win for Hattiesburg. The junior finished with 109 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
“He’s been that way all year for us, and we expect him to continue to play that way,” Vance said of his quarterback.
With the win, the Tigers improved to 4-0. They will be off next week with a bye.
“These guys have worked hard to get us to this point,” Vance concluded. “That was the preseason. It’s over with and means absolutely nothing. Now we start the regular season. These are the ones that matter, the ones that count.”
Oak Grove (3-1) suffered their first loss of the season and like Hattiesburg, will be off next week.
Hattiesburg Stat Leaders:
Passing: Jarod Conner-11 of 20 for 205 yards
Rushing: Jarod Conner-19 carries for 109 yards and 4 touchdowns
Receiving: Darius Ruffin-6 catches for 143 yards
Oak Grove Stat Leaders:
Passing: Landon Forbes-8 of 14 for 118 yards and 1 touchdown
Rushing: Orlando Simon-16 carries for 123 yards and 1 touchdown
Receiving: Kevin Barnett-5 catches for 70 yards and 1 touchdown
