Tide Comes Up Short at Oak Grove 21-14
Picayune and Oak Grove got after each other for 48 minutes of football on Friday evening.
It was a game that lived up to all the hype that had preceded the contest. In the end, it was
Oak Grove's Consensus All-American Garry Pack they turned in the performance that would
give the Warriors the Region 3-5A title with a 21-14 win on a cool and windy night at Oak Grove.
The Warriors scored on their second possession of the game on a 15 yard pass from Kyle Sellers
to Chase Carey. Sellers rolled right and waited for Carey to come all the way across the field
from the left end where he lined up. Sellers slung it to Carey at the 3 yard line and he stepped in
for the first points of the night capping a 8 play 71 yard drive. Taylor Lovitt tacked on the PAT
and Oak Grove lead 7-0 with 4:19 left in the first quarter.
The Tide came back on their next possession and drove to the Warrior 17 yard line before being
stopped on 4th down as QB Chris Stewart was unable to convert the first down on a keeper
around left end.
Oak Grove scored on their next possession as they went 83 yards in 3 plays. Pack, standing along
side Sellers in the shotgun, took a handoff from Sellers and out ran everyone to end zone for a
52 yard touchdown run. Lovitt once again added the PAT and it was 14-0 with 9:52 to play in the
second quarter.
The Tide took the Warrior kickoff at their own 38 yard line. On 3rd down and 8 yards
to go at the Tide 40 yard line, Stewart connected with Scott Hillery for a 9 yard gain and a first down
at the Tide 49 yard line. The Tide finally stalled out at the Oak Grove 12 yard line. Hillery's 29 yard
field goal attempt missed to the left and Picayune had no points to show for their efforts.
On the next Oak Grove possession, Quincy Coleman intercepted a Sellers pass at the Tide 43 yard line.
With only :26 remaining in the second quarter, QB Chris Stewart found Hillery sprinting at the Oak
Grove 25 yard line. Hillery made the catch, reversed his direction to his right and was finally caught
at the Oak Grove 5 yard line. After a Tide timeout, Stewart faked a hand off up the middle, and
lofted a touchdown pass to Mit Cole in the left flat. Cole caught the pass at the 2 yard line
and waltzed in for the score. Hillery's PAT it 14-7 at the half.
Midday through the 3rd quarter, Quincy Coleman intercepted another Sellers pass near the Tide goal line
and the Tide had the ball at their own 5 yard line. Picayune proceeded to drive the ball to the Oak
Grove 17 yard line before calling on Hillery to attempt a 33 yard field goal. The kick was wide left.
Oak Grove came back on the next possesion and went 80 yards in 9 plays with Pack scoring from 13
yards out breaking tackle after tackle on the run. Lovitt's PAT made it 21-7 with 10:20 to go in the
game.
Picayune came back. The Tide put together a 19 play 83 yard with Stewart scoring from 4 yards out
on a keeper into the right corner of the end zone. Hillery knocked through the PAT making 21-14
with 3:22 to play.
Oak Grove converted two (2) first downs on the next possession and were able to run out the clock.
Garry Pack rushed 13 times for 214 yards. Sellers completed 8 of 15 for 99 yards. He was intercepted
twice by Quincy Coleman.
For the Tide, Justin Magee gained 131 tough yards on 30 carries. Chris Stewart was 9 of 16
for 120 yards. Ryan Detillier had 3 receptions for 22 yards while Hillery had 3 catches for 79 yards.
Mit Cole had 2 catches for 13 yards including the 5 yard touchdown from Stewart.
Picayune will be the number two seed and will host Ocean Springs in the first round of the South State
5A playoffs. Oak Grove will be at home as Gulfport will come calling on the top seeded Warriors.
All playoff games will kick off at 7:00pm.