Sun Herald: How Ocean Springs is reloading for fall football around star QB Bray Hubbard
Ocean Springs isn’t rebuilding around starting quarterback Bray Hubbard — the team is simply reloading.
Following an undefeated regular season and a trip to the second round of the playoffs, the Greyhounds graduated star running back David Humphries and multiple key targets in Holton White and Evan McNally.
Humphries took much of the pressure off of Hubbard’s dual-threat game while running for 1,439 yards. White and McNally were two of Hubbard’s top targets, catching 54 and 31 passes, respectively.
Ocean Springs has a pair of options to turn to in replacing Humphries. One of which, rising sophomore Will Smith, has played in one varsity game but is drawing positive reviews from teammates and coaches this spring.
“(Will Smith) is going to be really good,” Hubbard told the Sun Herald at the Greyhounds’ spring game. “He’s going to have a very bright future, but he’s still got a lot to learn on offense.”
Smith ran for 49 yards in a 38-14 win over Harrison Central last year and broke off a run of 20 yards. He’s joined by an older Will Gray in the backfield, who ran for 67 yards as a senior last season.
At wide receiver, the Greyhounds still have familiar faces for Hubbard to look to, including a budding star in JP Coulter.
Coulter showed the full range of his potential in Ocean Springs’ playoff victory over Pearl when he caught seven passes for 88 yards and two scores, plus ran for 61 yards and a touchdown.
Head coach Blake Pennock is also hoping to see a step forward from wide out Christian White. The rising senior has great height at 6’4 and provides Hubbard with another outside threat opposite Coulter. White caught 24 passes last year for 227 yards.
Having experienced options is paramount for the growth Hubbard’s game, who took home 6A Mr. Football honors after his second year as a starter.
Heading into year three as the Greyhounds starter, Hubbard hopes to take another step forward with his passing game.
“A lot better in the passing game, that’s all I’ve worked on in the offseason, is my passing game,” Hubbard said. “You’re just going to see a bigger version of what I was last year and a lot better. A lot more skilled than what I was in my junior season.”
Hubbard, a Southern Miss baseball commit, is already one of the state’s top seniors. He threw 30 touchdowns to just three interceptions and ran for an additional 22 scores. His performance led landed several football offers and a No. 17 ranking on 247sports.com’s Mississippi prospect rankings.
“He’s a great player, he’s worked so hard on his game,” Pennock said. “He continues to develop as a quarterback. Develops his mechanics, his arm strength, his accuracy, all that stuff. He’s developed the mental side of the game, knowing where the ball is going to go.”
Ocean Springs was one of the more aggressive defensive teams in South Mississippi and Pennock says to expect more of the same in 2022 despite having several gaps to fill.
In losing Brady St. Amant, Jacob Williams and Avery Carter alone, the Greyhounds are down 42 tackles for loss from last year’s team.
“We’ll be more of the same,” Pennock said. “We’re pretty fast on defense. I like our secondary and our front seven.”
Khris Bonds returns as the teams top corner and the speedy edge rusher Keshawn Thomas is back for his senior season after picking up 17 tackles for loss last season.
With spring practice wrapped up, Ocean Springs will return for summer workouts ahead of a home jamboree battle with Gautier on August 19.
