Maroon Tide turns back Poplarville 35-20

by Carey Meitzler

Picayune pulled out a 35-20 win over the Poplarville Hornets in a hard fought Division 8-4A game at Picayune.  The win pushes

the Maroon Tide improves to 4-1 overall and 2-0 on the season.

Picayune scored on their first possession marching 53 yards in 4 plays with Albert Richard scoring on a 3 yard run with 10:13

left on the clock.  Matt Dragon kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

Poplarville took the ensuing kickoff and drove to the Maroon Tide 18 yard line where Picayune's Matt Barr jarred the ball loose

and Picayune recovered at their 20 yard line.  Picayune went the 80 yards in 7 plays with Drew Cole scoring from 3 yards out.

Dragon's PAT made it 14-0 with 1:18 left in the first quarter.

The Maroon Tide forced a Hornet punt on the next possession and the ball was downed at the Picayune 2 yard line.  After a

8 yard gain on first down, the Maroon Tide fumbled the ball and Pierre Raine scooped it and ran in for a touchdown.  The

point after was partially blocked and sailed wide left leaving the score at 14-6 with 9:42 left.

Drew Cole returned the Hornet kickoff from the Tide 16 to the Poplarville 35 yard line.  Four plays later, Richard scored on

another 3 yard run and Dragon's PAT made it 21-6 with 8:20 left.

Photo by John Young

Drew Cole takes off a kickoff return that put the ball at the Hornet 35 yard line.

Poplarville answered going 81 yards on 6 plays scoring on a 63 yard pass from Matt Williams to Pierre Raine

with 5:11 left.  The extra point was wide right and Picayune led 21-12.

Poplarville executed a successful onside kick and got the ball at the Picayune 44 yard line.  But, the Maroon

Tide's Justin Flowers sacked Williams for 10 yards on first down.  On second down, Jonathan Billups tackled

Williams for a six yard loss. On third down, Reggie Bailey sacked Williams for a loss of five yards to force a

Hornet punt.

Picayune took over at their 26 yard line with 2:54 left in the half.  The Maroon Tide would go the 74 yards

in 8 plays with Caleb Hickman passing to Drew Cole for a 1 yard touchdown with :01 left.  Dragon's PAT

made it 28-12 at the half.

Photo by John Young

Reggie Bailey (21) finishes off a run for the Maroon Tide.

The Hornets took the second half kickoff ,and after converting one first down, faced fourth down at

their own 38 yard line. Williams, who is also the punter, took the deep snap in punt formation and

rolled to his left and completed a pass for a first down at the Hornet 47 yard line.  However, the

drive was stopped at the Maroon Tide 45 yard line when Reggie Bailey jumped on a Hornet fumble.

Picayune drove the 45 yards on 9 plays with Hickman scored on a fourth down keeper around

left end from the 12 yard line. Dragon's PAT made it 35-12.

Photo by John Young

Caleb Hickman (18) scores on 4th down on a 12 yard run.

Poplarville scored on their next possession going 58 yards in 8 plays with Ira White scoring on

a 20 yard run with 11:11 left.  Chansler Houston ran in for a two point conversion to make it 35-20.

The Maroon Tide's next possesion ended on a incomplete pass at the Hornet 48 yard line on fourth

down.

Poplarville then moved the ball to the Picayune 24 yard line only to turn the ball over on downs

as Picayune's Jon Billups tackled Williams as he tried to scramble to his left.

Picayune took over with 5:22 left in the game and moved the ball to the Hornet 15 before turning

the ball back over on downs with :12 left.

Richard finished with 21 carries for 172 yards to pace the Tide offense which accounted for

358 yards on 46 plays.

Next week, Picayune travels to take on unbeaten St Stanislaus in Bay St Louis for a 7:00pm kickoff.

Poplarville will play at Pearl River Central.

Picayune