SUN HERALD: ‘We ain’t going to back down.’ Ocean Springs wins by 1 point in double OT over Clinton

Originally published August 27, 2021

Ocean Springs, Miss. - Two teams with championship aspirations in Class 6A collided in a season-opening classic Thursday night at Hugh Pepper Field.

When it was over, it was homestanding Ocean Springs that walked away a winner with a 45-44 double overtime victory over Clinton.

Senior linebacker Zach Merriman blew up a running play for a big loss on a conversion attempt in the second overtime period to seal the victory for the Greyhounds.

“This was a big win for us,” said Merriman. “There was a little bad blood because they’d been talking like we couldn’t beat them. But here we are.”

For Ocean Springs (1-0), it was a coming out party of sorts for junior quarterback Bray Hubbard, who led the Greyhounds on offense.

Hubbard completed 19 of 27 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran 21 times for 84 yards and four scores.

“Everybody knows Bray Hubbard,” said Ocean Springs coach Blake Pennock. “We got a little bit of a taste of him last year. But I think you saw the grown-up version of him tonight, the development he’s made. He’s going to be a great player for us.”

Hubbard’s night started the right way on the opening series of the game, a 12-play, 73-yard march, with Hubbard getting the score on a four-yard run. Junior Bart Edmiston converted the first of seven successful PAT kicks for a 7-0 lead.

“I’m proud of my guys,” said Hubbard. “We kept fighting, even through the fourth quarter and into overtime. We had some adversity with some bad mistakes that hit us in the face in the first half, but we bounced back and got that W.”

The Ocean Springs lead lasted the rest of the first quarter, but the Arrows were the dominant team in the second quarter.

On the second play of the period, Jakobe Calvin scored on one-yard run for Clinton, capping an 11-play, 86-yard drive.

Ocean Springs responded with a seven-play, 56-yard drive, with Hubbard finding junior John Paul Coulter open over the middle of the end zone for a 17-yard scoring pass.

But the rest of the first half belonged to Clinton. On the second play after the kickoff, Arrows junior quarterback dashed around right end after a brilliant fake for a 60-yard run to tie the game.

Hubbard’s only mistake of the night, a tipped pass that ended up in the hands of Clinton senior safety Tywon Alexander, who carried the pick 30 yards to the Greyhound 6-yard-line.

But the Greyhounds were able to force a field goal, from 33 yards by Luke Hopkins to give the Arrows their first lead of the night.

Ocean Springs couldn’t overcome a lost fumble that ended a promising drive at the Clinton 23. On the next play, Battee hit Michael Tripp along the right sideline for a 73-yard touchdown pass and a 24-14 lead.

“It wasn’t anything big,” said Pennock. “We gave up the long pass when the cornerback read a flat route when he should have sagged back, and they went over the top on us. On the long run, he rolled into the strength of the defense, but we filled inside, and he got outside on us.

“It’s just a matter of doing your job. Once we get everybody on the same page, we’ll be all right.”

The Greyhounds narrowed the margin with 26.6 seconds to play in the first half, driving 58 yards to the Arrows 13 before settling for a 30-yard field goal by Edmiston.

Ocean Springs carried the momentum into the third quarter, scoring on two textbook touchdown drives on back-to-back possessions.

“One thing Coach Pennock said to us was, ‘We ain’t going to back down; we know we’re better than them,’” Hubbard said. “We just had to show them what was up.”

After stopping Clinton on a three-and-out, the Greyhounds drove 47 yards on six plays, covering the last 34 yards on a strike from Hubbard to junior Christian White.

An interception by senior linebacker Jacob Williams set Ocean Springs up at the Clinton 39, and the Greyhounds needed seven plays to cover the distance, with Hubbard getting the score from a yard out.

“We told each other to just do your assignment, not everybody else’s” said Merriman. “We just had to tighten up. They weren’t really doing anything to us. Every time we gave up a big play, it was on us, because we’d missed something.”

The defense, however, couldn’t get off the field in the fourth quarter, as Clinton used up 8 minutes, 11 seconds off the clock on a grinding 15-play, 61-yard drive, with Battee scoring on a 5-yard run with 2:38 to play in regulation.

The Greyhounds skirted disaster on the subsequent possession, after Hubbard missed a play after being banged up on a scramble. A bad snap resulted in a 16-yard loss, and Ocean Springs had to punt.

Fortunately for the Greyhounds, Edmiston uncorked his best punt of the night, a 54-yard boot with 35 seconds remaining, and the defense got a 12-yard sack to end any thoughts Clinton might had of trying to drive for a game-winning score.

“This is a big win for Ocean Springs, maybe the greatest we’ve ever had,” said senior running back David Humphries, who ran for 73 yards on 18 carries. “I was just trying to open up the gaps, so my quarterback could find the holes in the defense.”

Perhaps predictably, given the heat and intensity of play, the defenses weren’t able to do much to stop the offenses in the overtime periods.

Clinton scored first on a six-yard run by Larry Funchess, then Hubbard scored on a one-yard run for Ocean Springs in the first overtime. In the second extra period, Hubbard again scored for the Greyhounds, from two-yard out to take a 45-38 lead.

Two runs of nine and one yard by Calvin got Clinton back in the end zone, and Arrows coach Judd Boswell decided it was time to end things, one way or another.

Battee rolled out and was immediately greeted by Merriman, who had read the play and came in unblocked. He brought down Battee, and the celebration was on for Ocean Springs.

“The coach told me what it was going to be, and I said, ‘I’ll remember that,’” said Merriman. “I saw it, but I thought I’d missed that tackle. I just grabbed onto him and held on.”

The Greyhounds think they might have the best team on the Gulf Coast this season, and this was a big first step to where they hope to be in late November, playing for a championship.

“We’ve got a tough test next week with Hattiesburg,” said Pennock. “We got a great test today.”

Ocean Springs will be back at home next Friday, hosting Hattiesburg.