By Buster Wolfe
Senior quarterback Jarod “Snoop” Conner grabbed the steering wheel and put Hattiesburg in the District 4-5A driver’s seat Friday by outlasting an overwrought Picayune squad 49-35 at D.I. Patrick Stadium in the Hub City.
Conner accounted for 336 total offensive yards and all seven Tigers touchdowns, rushing 17 times for 196 yards and three touchdowns, while completing 13-of-21 passes for 170 yards and four more scores.
Darius Ruffin pulled in three of those TD passes, scoring on receptions of 35, 21 and 2 yards. Senior running back Drexlan Allen added 76 yards on 12 carries for the Tigers’ offense.
The victory pushed undefeated defending state champion Tigers to nine straight wins on the season and 5-0 in District 4-5A. Picayune fell to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in district.
Hattiesburg coach Tony Vance had predicted a tough contest with Picayune. He wasn’t disappointed.
“When you play Picayune, it’s going to be knockdown, drag-out football,” he said after the game. “Those guys don’t have any quit in them. I thought our guys matched their intensity tonight. I am super proud of our guys.”
The Maroon Tide built its offense around senior running back Jortin Raine, who rushed 20 times for 153 yards and a touchdown… in the first half. He finished with 229 yards on 36 carries and the one score.
Picayune had taken a 21-14 lead with 2:26 remaining in the second half. The Tigers, however, answered 73 seconds later with a six-play, 61-yard drive that ended on Conner’s 35-yard TD toss to Ruffin to tie the score 21-all at intermission.
Vance said he knew his team had to find a way to make a difference in the second half. The Tigers received the second-half kickoff, scored and never trailed.
“Our guys challenged each other to step up and play better,” Vance said about the halftime discussion. “I challenged them all. I told them we are going to be in games like these; all of them aren’t going to be easy. You’ve got to embrace it and enjoy it.”
Vance said his squad had been working on onside kick drills during this week’s practices, hoping one change of possession would give the Tigers an advantage. With a 35-28 advantage nearing the end of the third quarter, Hattiesburg managed a successful onside kick to take over at midfield.
However, Picayune coach Chad Spence complained to officials that he had tried to call a timeout before the kick. He became so irate that when he approached the officials, Spence was ejected after two unsportsmanlike conduct infractions. The penalties moved the ball to the Picayune 20-yard line for Hattiesburg.
Four plays later, Conner jumped over the line for the touchdown, pushing the Tigers to a 42-28 advantage to start the fourth quarter. Vance said the 14 points was important.
“The onside kick gave us a chance to take a two-touchdown lead and that made us feel more comfortable,” he said, complimenting his players on their conduct during the game. “Our kids kept their poise. We didn’t get any unsportsmanlike conduct calls. It didn’t get out of hand for us.”
Picayune attempted only two passes during the game – one for a 31-yard touchdown in the second quarter. The other was incomplete.
Hattiesburg travels to Long Beach next week to continue District 4-5A play.
