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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.