Tag Archives: Football

October 12, 2012 · 1:41 pm

We are Oak Grove

By: Samantha Papp

Staff Reporter

 Every football player has one ultimate goal when he begins his athletic career: to be on the starting roster for a high school varsity team.  Luke Smith has been playing football since he was in third grade, and while he lettered his sophomore year, he did not start varsity.  The following summer, Smith decided he would settle for nothing less than starting in the 2012 season.

“I knew the summer after my sophomore year that I wanted to start varsity when I was a junior,” Smith said.  “We had practices three days a week during the summer at 6:30 a.m.   I went to the practices and worked hard.” Smith achieved his goal; he is now the starting varsity center and has seen a successful 2012 season thus far.

For his position as center, Smith is not the ideal size.  “I am small for my position,” Smith explained.  However, this lack of size does not deter him. “Pat Mitchell is my inspiration,” he said.  “He was a center at Oak Grove High School who was about my size, and [Mitchell’s team] went to State.”  Terry Smith, offensive line coach for Oak Grove’s football team, said, “Smith is undersized for his position, but because of his hard work and smart playing, you would never know.”

Along with participating in football, Smith also is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and First Priority, and he has maintained all A’s throughout his high school career.  Smith may not be the ideal size for a center, but his dedication and work ethic overshadow any type of shortcoming. Coach Smith said, “Luke is one of the hardest working players on the football team.”  Smith has exhibited what true Warriors are made of through his commitment to his team, his high academic standards, and his leadership both on and off the field.  Luke Smith is Oak Grove.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Sports

Tagged as , , ,

· 1:33 pm

Girls claim turf in powder puff football

By: Lauren English

Staff Reporter

All around the country, a select few high school girls are becoming the exception to a “no girls allowed in football” status quo. Many girls are afraid to try football, but the long awaited Powder Puff game gives girls a chance to take off the cute shoes and slide on the cleats. On Thursday, November 1 at 7:00 p.m., senior and junior girls will go head-to-head for the seventh annual Powder Puff game.

Powder Puff is a fundraiser for the cheerleaders. Laura Lightsey, cheer coach, said, “We have several hundred people from the community show up and support. It really is a great fundraiser and a fun time for the girls.”

Seniors have been anxiously waiting for this day to come, so they can avenge their loss to the seniors of 2012. “I’m tackling everyone who comes my way,” Constance Quinn, quarterback for the class of 2013, said. The rivalry heats up as the seniors prepare to play rough and take names. The excitement builds for the juniors as they approach their first year to play the sport. In the last seven years, the juniors have only won once. Many feel that the game is rigged just to satisfy the ruthless seniors. Many say, “It’s just a high school powder puff game. It doesn’t matter.” The girls, however, care about this game because it gives bragging rights to one of the two grades.

A question that seems to be asked a lot is, “What do guys think about girls playing football?” Will Anding, senior, said, “It’s good to educate women on the sport of football because it gets annoying when a girl doesn’t know what’s going on.” The senior and junior boys serve as assistant coaches to the ladies, attending practices and making plays.

Who will bring out the win this year? No referee can over-rule true talent and promise, and that is what these girls show when they walk out on the field.

Leave a Comment

Filed under News

Tagged as , ,

September 11, 2012 · 9:28 pm

Warriors make statement with 2-0 start

Favre named new Offensive Coordinator, ESPN visits OG

By: Kirk McCarty, Staff Reporter

WARRIORS IN ACTION
Jonathan McNair scores a touchdown in a 30-20 win over the Purvis Tornadoes Photo taken by: Mary Kate Waldron

Oak Grove High School has been greatly involved in the national sports media with the addition of retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre as the new Offensive Coordinator for the high school football team.  The addition brought ESPN in to Hattiesburg for a visit and a chance to sit down with Favre for an exclusive interview.  Ed Werder, an ESPN reporter since 1998, sat down with Favre to talk about everything from Peyton Manning returning to the NFL and Andrew Luck on his rookie year in Indianapolis to his competitive edge as a high school football coach.  Werder has covered NFL football since 1984 when he was a Denver Broncos beat writer for The Boulder Daily Camera. Werder worked his way up the reporting food chain until he reached the top with ESPN in 1998. He has covered Brett Favre in some respect ever since Favre’s first year in Green Bay in 1992. Werder recalled his favorite memory of Favre when late in his career a teammate said that he had lost the zip on his passes, and Brett challenged them all to meet him in the parking lot after the game to see if they could catch it. It’s safe to say no one showed up. Oak Grove football will most likely continue to be a hot topic in any sports talk as Favre embarks on his second rookie season of his career, but this time on the sidelines as a coach.

Warriors start season off strong

By: Tyler Lee, Staff Reporter

Oak Grove football came into the year with no true identity; no one knew what to expect from a team returning only three starters from last season. The Warriors proved themselves in no time. Oak Grove started the season with a 64-6 pummeling of Sumrall, and the team showed that they still have their signature high-powered spread offense. The Warriors were quiet in the first quarter, only scoring one TD, but turned on their game in the second quarter, in which they tacked on an impressive 34 points. The Warrior offense was led by junior quarterback Kirk McCarty, who tallied 199 yards of total offense and four touchdowns. The defense also showed its speed with four sacks in the first half alone along with two interceptions returned for touchdowns.

In game two Oak Grove’s offense struck immediately, scoring on their first drive. Purvis answered back with a touchdown of their own while Oak Grove’s offense stalled in the middle of the game, not scoring again until late in the third quarter. Trailing 16-9 in the fourth quarter, the Warriors found some magic with a trick play to drive down field and score. After taking the lead 23-20, Picasso Nelson returned an interception of 35 yards to seal the game. Kirk McCarty put up more great numbers accounting for 197 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns.

The Warriors continued their season with a bye week before they took on the Laurel Tornadoes, who the Warriors defeated 17-3 last year.

(article published 9/7/12)

Leave a Comment

Filed under Sports

Tagged as , , , ,

· 9:24 pm

Fans make most of moment of silence

By: Mary Ryan Karnes

Editor

As football season kicks off, fans may notice a change in pre-game tradition.

TOGETHER IN PRAYER
Seniors MacAlister Parker (left) and Max Bloomingburg (right) recite the Lord’s Prayer aloud during the “moment of silence” at the Oak Grove vs. Sumrall football game.
Photo by MARY KATE WALDRON

After a legal threat to schools across the nation from an out-of-state organization, prayer over intercom at any public school function has been prohibited. Fans and faith-based groups have taken measures that exercise First Amendment rights without violating the Constitutional principle of separation of church and state.

Prior to the Oak Grove-Sumrall game, social media sites like Facebook and Instagram were littered with rumors of prayer prohibition at schools in Lamar County.

Concerned members of the Oak Grove community reported that a moment of silence in remembrance and appreciation of the protective action of the military would replace the traditional pre-game prayer.   The status updates and photos encouraged all football fans to recite the Lord’s Prayer during the rumored moment of silence. Within the first few seconds of the silence, spectators on both the home and visiting sides of the field joined voices to recite The Lord’s Prayer.

Senior Max Bloomingburg spoke out about prayer in schools and the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer at Oak Grove’s most recent games. “I think that whatever they do, they cannot take the power of our speech away,” Bloomingburg said. “If we unite as a body of Christ we will do God’s will, which is most important.”

1 Comment

Filed under News

Tagged as , , ,

December 9, 2011 · 12:00 pm

Kicking it with Evan Sobiesk

By: Allison Slusher
Staff Reporter

Evan Sobiesk is currently the kicker for the Warrior football team and is being recruited by many division one schools. This article follows him throughout the decision making process and allows us to see which college he will choose in the end.

When we first checked in with Evan, he said he was looking for a school with good academics, good athletics, and a good atmosphere. “I’m also looking for a school that has a culture similar to here at home,” Sobiesk said. So you might be wondering, how has that affected Sobiesk’s decision so far? As you may remember from last month’s article, Sobiesk visited Montana State; however, this is one school in which he noticed a cultural difference. “When I went for my visit, it was kind of…out there,” Sobiesk said.

Sobiesk has since continued his college search and focused his sights elsewhere. Sobiesk visited Oklahoma State last weekend, a school which has just recently contacted him. He will also take an official visit day at Mississippi State in January. With all of his offers coming in, Sobiesk still says that he has not narrowed his sights on any one school yet, especially considering the fact that he could be looking for colleges until the spring.

One thing, though, is definite: Sobiesk is not limited in his college choices. As universities continue to contact Sobiesk, it becomes more apparent that he will have a promising career no matter which school he chooses.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Sports

Tagged as , , , ,

December 11, 2009 · 1:25 pm

Warriors finish successful season

By: Amelia Landers, Editor

After a very successful football season (9-2) the Warriors were recognized as the 2009 6A South State Champions on November 28 when they defeated the Ocean Springs Greyhounds at Warrior field by a score of 27-6.

The Warriors’ first playoff game was against the Harrison Central Rebels. This game was played on November 14 at Harrison Central. The Warriors took control of this game early on with a touchdown run by Robert Johnson, leading up to a final score of 56-36.

Game two of the playoff series was a rematch with Meridian. The Wildcats traveled to Warrior stadium hoping to even the score after losing to Oak Grove earlier in the season. After another stellar performance, the Warriors sent the Wildcats home with an additional loss. The final score for this much anticipated game was 42-28.

The Warriors were able to play game three of the playoffs at home as well. Although the Greyhounds came in ready and confident, they were no match for the Warriors. As the buzzer sounded, fans began to celebrate that the Warriors would be going to Jackson on December 4 to play for the 6A championship. The Warriors were crowned South State Champions. This was the first year for the Warriors to make it to state in football since 2003 where they lost the 5A championship to South Panola. “We worked all winter, spring, and summer to get to that point. We have not won South State since 2003, so it was a big accomplishment.” Robert Johnson said.

Alas, the trip to state found the Warriors trailing from early in the game. As the snow fell, Oak Grove fans watched as their team struggled to stop South Panola’s run. The Tigers dominated the Warriors by stopping the pass and scoring on three interceptions. By the end of the third quarter, the field lines were hidden by accumulating snow. Warrior players struggled to keep their footing and hold on to the ball in these conditions. The final score was 56-14.
This was the final game for several seniors who have been strong leaders for the Warriors in recent seasons. Many of the players are excited for next year’s season while some are ready to take their football career to college.

Leave a Comment

Filed under News

Tagged as , , ,

· 1:19 pm

Warrior Sports Notes

Football

The Warriors ended this year with a winning regular season advancing to the play-offs. With a record of 8-2 in regular season, the players were proud of their achievements, especially both big wins against the Meridian Wildcats.
A number of star Warriors have been nominated for the All-Area Team.  Steve McNair, Jr. finished the season leading the team in a number of categories on both offense and defense.  Other offensive players such as quarterback James McMahon, Jonathan Duncan, Jay Hughes, Dillon Fedora, and Robert Johnson all posted impressive numbers on the offensive side of the ball.

Defensive lineman Vince Taylor led the team in tackles and other key defensive areas.  In addition, LeBrandon Moseley, Charles Bolton, Cort Brinson, and Trey Barnes were key contributors to the Warrior’s defensive success.
Despite the many ups and downs as well as injuries, the Warriors managed to end the season successfully.

Soccer

The boys’ soccer team started the season off strong with a 1-0 victory over rival Petal.  The lone goal was scored by center midfielder Garrett Head.  The following weekend the team continued its success with a huge upset win over the preseason number six team and defending state champion, Clinton.  The Warriors toppled the Clinton Arrows 4-1.  The third game of the season turned out to have a drastically different result with the Warriors falling to the Pascagoula Panthers 3-0.  This weekend the Warriors look to bounce back with games in a Gulfport tournament against two very tough opponents: Long Beach and St. Patrick High School.  Although their focus will be on these two games this weekend, the team plans to use the games to prepare for the most important game of the season.  Next Tuesday, the team will play a crucial district game at home against the team’s arch-rival, Brandon.  The girls soccer team also promises a successful season with a current record of 4-0.

Basketball

The varsity boys’, junior varsity boys’, and girls’ basketball teams are off to great starts with records of 5-0, 3-0, and 4-5, respectively.  With great season starts so far, the boys and girls look foward to continuing their successes.
In their last two games, the Lady Warriors defeated both Bassfield High School and Laurel High School with scores of 59-29 and 60-35.  In the most recent games against Gulfport High School, the varsity boys’ came up short 29-50, varsity girls’ fought hard but in the end lost 46-49, and junior varsity boys’ were defeated 24-30.
The next game is the first district game of the season against Hattiesburg High School in the Oak Grove High School gym on December 15 with games beginning at 5:00 p.m.  The teams will also face off against George County, and will compete in the Hattiesburg Tournament over the Christmas holidays.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Sports

Tagged as , , ,

November 13, 2009 · 2:07 pm

Winning season leads to playoffs

By: Taylor Herring

Coming to the end of a successful season, the Warriors have one thing on their minds: playoffs. After getting the regular season off to a great start by beating Bassfield 30-20, and defeating long-time rivals, the Petal Panthers, the Warrior football team feels prepared. Although the Panthers brought a competitive spirit, their ability on the field simply did not match that of the Warriors. The players came off the field with another success at home, with a final score of 28-18.
With two home game victories under their belt, Oak Grove traveled to Laurel High School to test their skills on the road. The final score was closer than expected, but the Warriors walked away with yet another win, 21- 20. After Laurel, the team had two weeks off before playing against the Wingfield Falcons for homecoming. These two weeks off actually worked to the team’s advantage, because it gave quarterback James McMahon’s injury from the first game a bit more time to heal. Going into the game with much deserved confidence, the team beat Wingfield
44-12.

The undefeated Warriors traveled to Natchez the next week. Although Oak Grove was projected to win this game, Natchez came back in the fourth quarter to win 48-45. This upsetting loss must have truly made an impact on the players, however, because the team practiced diligently with hopes of beating Meridian.

What a difference a week makes. The Y’all vs. Us game on October 9th was a completely different ballgame. The Warriors truly wanted nothing more than to prevail against the Wildcats; and they were happy to welcome McMahon back on the field. After weeks worth of rivaled foresight about the game, fans, players, and media crowded the stadium. Finally, just as many students predicted, Oak Grove walked away from the game victorious with a final score of 28-20. “It was truly the most exciting football game we’ve ever played in. The atmosphere was unreal; and it was an experience I’ll never forget,” James McMahon, quarterback, said.

The team went on to beat Terry on the road, 14-10. Although Oak Grove was expected to win by more than a four point margin, the team was able to walk off the field content with another victory. The next week, Oak Grove suffered an upsetting loss to the Hattiesburg Tigers, 28-42. This set-back obviously encouraged the Warriors to practice even harder, because they came back to beat Brandon 16-10 the next week. This game was especially upsetting to Brandon, because it means they won’t be in the playoffs.

All of Oak Grove’s hard work and dedication truly paid off this season, and it was definitely evident on the field. Looking back on the season, the Warriors cannot help but feel confident about the playoffs which begin tonight when Oak Grove faces off against a talented Harrison Central team.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Sports

Tagged as , ,

September 4, 2009 · 1:01 pm

Oak Grove vs. Meridian to be televised

By: Amelia Landers, Editor

Two weeks into football season the Warriors are undefeated.  After weather caused the Bassfield game to be delayed, the Warriors hosted them on August 22.  Petal arrived in Warrior territory on August 28 for a game that was steeped in rivalry.  Over 6,500 fans were in attendance for the Oak Grove – Petal game, a reflection of the pride each of these communities have in their teams.  The Warriors showed in both of these games that they came to play to win and play until the finish.

While both of these first games proved to be very exciting, there is a game to come that is already getting lots of attention.  On October 9 the Meridian Wildcats will travel to Oak Grove to continue their rivalry. This highly anticipated game will be televised by Cellular South as part of their “Ya’ll vs. Us” program. Cellular South partnered with the Mississippi High School Activities Association to choose the rivalries to cover in this series.  Only five games featuring ten high school teams will be included.  Oak Grove’s inclusion in this group recognizes the strength of our football program and the support of the community and fans.

Last year the book “Ya’ll vs. Us” was written by Jackson attorney X.M. Frascogna, Jr., and his sons, Mike III and Marty.  This book chronicles the 15 biggest high school football rivalries in Mississippi.  The Oak Grove – Meridian rivalry was included in this book. This has resulted in an increased interest in this upcoming game.

The Warriors have been plagued with injuries this season.  While several players are on the mend, the rest of the team has stepped up to fill the void.  By the Meridian game in October several of the injured players should have returned to the roster.

The Warriors only loss during the 2008 regular season came at the hands of Meridian.  The game was played in Meridian in a packed stadium.  The Wildcats also ended the Warriors’ play-off chances with their second loss of the season during the playoffs.  This game was also played in Meridian. This gives the Warriors an added incentive to defeat the Wildcats when they enter Warrior territory in October.  The game promises to be full of energy and excitement, whether you watch it on T.V. or attend the game.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Sports

Tagged as , , ,

· 12:46 pm

Warrior Sports Notes

Football

The Warriors kicked off the 2009 football season against Bassfield on Saturday, August 22. After a rough first half where they were down 20-10, the team pulled out a victory, beating the Yellow Jackets 30-20. Jay Hughes, a senior, was the leading scorer.

The following Friday, the Warriors battled one of their biggest rivals, the Petal Panthers. After a close game with Bassfield, the team spent many hours practicing and preparing for the game. With two quarterbacks out with injuries, Oak Grove was down 10-0 at half time. A quick pep talk in the locker room gave the Warriors confidence to come back. With an extraordinary touch down made by Steve McNair Jr., the final score was 21-18, giving the Warriors an undefeated start to the season.

Swimming

The Oak Grove High School swim team began another season under Coach Nora Rapetti on August 20 with their first practice at USM’s Natatorium.  The team meets for practice every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, as well as on the Fridays that a football game is not scheduled.

The team hopes the practice and preparation will pay off and they will be able to perform as well at South State in October as they did during last season, where the boys’ team won and the girls’ team placed among the top 10.  The competitors are working towards making the state qualifying time at or before South State to make it to the state competition October 24.

The team will begin its competition season on September 8 at Picayune, where they’ll compete  in a head-to-head.

Volleyball

Volleyball season started off with a rough beginning. With only eight returning players from previous years, the team is very young. The Lady Warrior volleyball team has played four games so far this season. All of the games were really close; however, the varsity only came out with one victory and the junior varsity with two. The team practices Monday through Thursday from four to six in hopes that they can work better as a team and have success throughout the season. This past weekend, the varsity members participated in the annual Gulf Coast Kick-Off held by Our Lady Academy’s volleyball team. They played very well and had all close games; however, they only pulled out one victory.  The team has a lot of passion for volleyball and they expect more wins to come.

Cross Country

On August 22, the Oak Grove Cross Country team participated in their first meet of the season. The outcomes of both the boys’ and girls’ divisions were very good. Kristie Stricker, an eighth grader, placed first overall in the girls’ division. Chad Moore, an eleventh grader, placed first overall in the boys’ division. Poplarville, Clinton, PCS, Petal, and Picayune also competed in the meet.

The second meet, held at Choctaw Trails, ended well for both divisions. The girls placed first and the boys placed second. The team was very excited about the outcome of this meet. The team has worked very hard these first few weeks and it has clearly paid off. Our diligent Cross Country team will continue to practice for the next meet on Friday, September 4 at Tatum Park.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Sports

Tagged as , , , , , ,