After a 1-4 start to the season, three-time-defending region champion Ocean Springs announced Friday night it won’t be giving up the region title without a fight. Breaking in a new quarterback, the Greyhounds scored 24 unanswered first-half points and cruised in the second half on the way to a 27-13 victory at D’Iberville.
Sharroid Whitehead made his first start of the season under center for Ocean Springs, and quickly made his case to spend more time there, leading the Greyhounds to points on all four first-half drives and five of seven for the game. Will Smith added a rushing touchdown as Ocean Springs dominated after falling behind 7-0.
The Ocean Springs defense wasn’t to be outdone. After giving up a touchdown on D’Iberville’s opening drive, the Greyhounds blanked the Warriors the rest of the way, giving up only a touchdown pass in the final 20 seconds after the game was well in hand.
Streak reaches 20
Nov. 6, 2020 — That was the last time Ocean Springs dropped a game in region play. It has been 1,070 days since Harrison Central defeated the Greyhounds , 35-28, in the final game of the 2020-21 regular season, and it will be 7 more days before a 4-7A foe gets another crack at Ocean Springs. The Greyhounds ran their region winning streak to 20 on Friday night and will look to hit 21 this week when when they host Harrison Central.
And not only did the Greyhounds extend the streak, they did it convincingly. Facing a D’Iberville team that was 3-2 and feeling good about itself , Ocean Springs did what it has done the last three times it has faced the Warriors: won going away.
Still the king
What did we learn Friday: The path to the Region 4-7A championship still runs through Ocean Springs. The Greyhounds finished region play unbeaten each of the last three years (5-0, 7-0, 7-0) on their way to region championships. And they showed no signs Friday night that this year will be any different, shaking off that 1-4 start in non-region play to stamp themselves as still the team to beat in 4-7A.
The Greyhounds share the lead atop 4-7A this season with Gulfport, which defeated Biloxi 21-7 on Thursday, and Harrison Central, which defeated St. Martin 20-16 on Friday. Ocean Springs will face Harrison Central at home this week with a chance to take one more step toward a fourth consecutive region title.
Surprise star
New season of region play. New quarterback. Same result.
Whitehead was a surprise starter at QB on Friday and performed nearly flawlessly. Making his first start at the position, he finished 10-of-12 passing for 121 yards and a touchdown. Whitehead also added 11 carries for 37 yards and a touchdown.
The junior led touchdown drives of 63, 55 and 24 yards on the Greyhounds’ first three possessions of the game, and capped the half with a short drive for a field goal. He calmly, and without turning the ball over, led an offense that relied largely on short passes, quarterback keepers and the legs of running back Will Smith to put up points while controlling the clock and wearing down the D’Iberville defense.
Two long drives in the second half produced three points before the Greyhounds’ only three-and-out of the game came late in the fourth quarter.
Local News
