Gulf Live: A familiar postseason refrain: Ocean Springs falls to Oak Grove
Originally published November 20, 2021
With less than a minute gone by in the second quarter, Ocean Springs’ quarterback Bray Hubbard -- “Mr. Football” in Class 6A -- kept the ball on an option play and raced past several Oak Grove defenders en route to a 60-yard touchdown romp which gave the Greyhounds a 21-14 lead over the defending 6A champions in their South State semifinal Friday night.
The standing room only home crowd inside Greyhound Stadium roared its approval as it seemed nothing could derail the high-powered Ocean Springs offense, which was averaging 46.6 points per game and had hung 54 on Pearl in an opening round game a week earlier.
Hubbard’s touchdown was the Greyhounds’ last of the 2021 season.
In a stunning reversal, the Oak Grove defense, which had struggled against the run much of the season, suddenly put the clamps on Hubbard and his offensive mates, shutting out the ‘Hounds over nearly three quarters of play.
Over the first 13 minutes of play, Ocean Springs totaled 175 yards in offense, averaging 8.3 yards for each of its 21 offensive plays. For the remainder of the game, the Greyhounds would run 30 plays, averaging just two yards for each.
While ending Ocean Springs’ championship hopes, the loss also extends the coast’s championship drought to 12 seasons, with St. Stanislaus’ Class 4A title in 2009 the last among the 19 football-playing schools along the Mississippi coast. The loss was also Ocean Springs’ sixth straight to Oak Grove and the second time in the last three seasons the Greyhounds have been eliminated by the Warriors.
Early on, it appeared those watching were going to be treated to an offensive slugfest, with the two teams trading punches like a pair of heavyweights.
The Greyhounds struck first, taking the opening kickoff and driving 64 yards in nine plays, with Hubbard opening the scoring on an 8-yard run with 8:23 left in the first. Bart Edmiston added the PAT for a 7-0 lead.
But Oak Grove has been to three straight South State finals and is the defending state champion for a reason. Unfazed by the Greyhounds’ quick score, the Warriors responded with an 80-yard drive to tie the game.
A 35-yard pass from Kabe Barnett to Tyrell Pollard, and runs of 8, 15, 13 and 11 from Dontavious Howard led to a 1-yard plunge by Howard. Byron Easterling added the point after.
Back came the Greyhounds, taking over at their own 31 and within three plays finding themselves at the Oak Grove 28, thanks in large part to a 25-yard Hubbard run. Two penalties against the Warriors aided the drive, which ended in a 1-yard run by David Humphries, giving the lead back to Ocean Springs at 14-7.
Forty-five seconds later, it was tied again. On the second play following the kickoff, Oak Grove speedster Ja’querrius Gray took a handoff on a jet sweep and raced around the Greyhound defense for a 79-yard touchdown.
The Ocean Springs defense had entered the postseason allowing opponents less than 100 yard rushing per game. By the time Friday night’s contest was over, they had allowed 660 rushing yards in two games, including six rushing scores of more than 40 yards.
In any event, Hubbard would give the ‘Hounds the lead back with his long run early in the second quarter.
From there, what had been shaping up as a high-scoring affair settled in instead as a defensive struggle, with the two teams combining for five punts over the remainder of the first half. Oak Grove had a scoring opportunity late in the half, driving to the Ocean Springs 30, but a Barnett pass was intercepted after the ball was jarred loose from the would-be receiver.
Ocean Springs forced the Warriors into another turnover to start the second half, recovering a fumble at the Oak Grove 48, but the Greyhounds were in turn forced into an uncharacteristic three-and-out.
With its defense shutting down the Greyhounds, Oak Grove would tie the score and then take the lead on back-to-back 45-yard touchdowns, the first a touchdown run by Barnett; the second a pass from Barnett to Gray, giving the Warriors a 28-21 lead as the fourth quarter began.
Ocean Springs’ last and best hope to tie the game began with 9:40 left in the game and the ball at the Oak Grove 49 after a poor punt. Aided by a 15-yard facemask penalty and going almost exclusively to the run, the Greyhounds drove methodically to the Warrior 20-yard line with seven minutes left in the game.
But three Hubbard runs only netted the ‘Hounds eight yards, leaving them with a fourth-and-two at the Oak Grove 12. Humphries, the Greyhounds’ 1,300-yard rusher this season, took a handoff up the middle, but was stuffed by a host of defenders, short of the two yards which would have set up a first-and-goal.
Instead, Oak Grove took possession, picking up two first downs on the ground, forcing Ocean Springs to burn its timeouts. With about a minute left, Oak Grove faced a fourth-and-one at its own 47 and lined up as if to go for the conversion, although clearly hoping to draw Ocean Springs offsides.
The Greyhounds obliged, jumping into the neutral zone and the resulting 5-yard penalty giving Oak Grove a first down and effectively ending the game. It was a brutally ironic ending for a team which had thrived in no small part due to its disciplined play.
Howard led all rushers with 21 carries for 123 yards, while Hubbard finished with 20 carries for 130 (but had just seven carries for 24 yards in the second half). Hubbard completed 10 of 15 passes, but for only 54 yards as the Warrior defense was clearly set on eliminating big plays. Barnett was 10-16 passing for 111 yards for Oak Grove, which outgained Ocean Springs in total offense, 413-236.
The loss concludes Ocean Springs’ otherwise memorable season at 11-1. Oak Grove, meanwhile, is back in familiar territory, playing in the South State final for the fourth straight year. The Warriors will take to the road to face the other Region 3 powerhouse, Brandon, which made quick work of Warren Central in a 42-17 win Friday night.
Brandon handed Oak Grove its only region loss with a 24-17 win in Hattiesburg on Oct. 22.
