6A Playoffs: Kabe Barnett, Oak Grove sail past Gulfport 33-7 to set up showdown with Ocean Springs

HATTIESBURG – One down, three to go for the Warriors.

Oak Grove opened defense of its Class 6A state championship Friday night with a convincing 33-7 victory over Gulfport in the opening round of the playoffs at Warrior Field. 

The seventh-ranked Warriors (9-2) advanced to a second-round clash next week at No. 2 Ocean Springs. Gulfport finished its season 7-5. 

“I thought they came out ready to play tonight,” said Oak Grove coach Drew Causey. “We had a great week of practice and I told them all week if we come ready to play, practice hard and do the things we’re supposed to do, we’re a hard team to beat.”

Oak Grove jumped on the Admirals early, scoring touchdowns on its first two possessions of the game, thanks to a blistering start from senior quarterback Kabe Barnett.

Barnett completed his first 10 passes and finished with 17 completions in 24 attempts for 290 yards and four touchdowns.

“Kabe was clicking,” said Causey. “When’s he’s on, he’s pretty dang good.”

The Warriors had no interest in deferring after winning the pregame coin toss, and the decision to take the ball to start the game paid off handsomely.

Oak Grove needed just five plays to cover 51 yards, the big play a 38-yard touchdown pass to senior Tyrell Pollard.

“Best quarterback in the state,” said Pollard. “He’s hard to stop. He practices hard, does everything right, and when he gets in a game, it’s hard to stop him.”

Gulfport looked like it had a big play on the Admirals’ second snap after the kickoff, when freshman Desmond Smith lost a fumble after a 39-yard gain off right tackle. 

“We made too many mistakes early, and we weren’t able to come back,” said Gulfport coach John Archie. 

“We kept fighting, kept playing hard. Oak Grove’s got a pretty good team, and we’re still pretty young in a lot of We’re going to hit the offseason hard, get back to work and see if we can get over the hump.”

That was the only mistake the Admirals’ young back made, however, as he rambled for 211 yards on 20 carries, scoring Gulfport’s only touchdown on a 75-yard dash late in the first quarter.

“Obviously, our game plan was to take away the run, and, obviously, we didn’t that as well as we should have, especially in the first half,” said Causey. “I thought our secondary did a good job. They’re on an island a lot, we ask a lot of them, and they did a great job.”

Indeed, while the Warriors gave up some big plays in the running game, they made life miserable for Gulfport junior quarterback Jacob Palazzo, who completed just 6 of 17 passes for 46 yards.

Oak Grove made it 14-0 after Smith’s fumble, converting a third-and-7 from the Warrior 16-yard line, when Barnett found junior running back J.Q. Gray streaking wide open down the right sideline. Barnett’s pass hit Gray in stride for an 84-yard scoring play.

It was the start of a big night for Gray, who caught seven passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns, and he added a rushing touchdown in the second quarter.

“It’s not really as much as I expect to get the ball,” said Gray. “I just trust the game plan the coaches set up, and when I get the ball, I’m happy, and if I don’t, it doesn’t matter as long as we win.

“The offense started clicking early, we moved the ball around and their defense couldn’t hang with it. When Kabe keeps a cool head and plays the way we know he can, it makes it a way easier ball game.”

Smith’s long touchdown run got Gulfport back in the game, but it wasn’t near enough, as the Admirals were unable to stem the Warrior tide.

Oak Grove took the ensuing kickoff and drove 66 yards in just three plays, getting the score on a 25-yard pass from Barnett to Gray, who made a leaping catch in the end zone. The PAT kick was no good, but the Warriors once again had a two-score lead.

A 57-yard run by Smith got Gulfport into Oak Grove territory for the first time, but on the next play, Palazzo’s pass was picked off by Pollard, who also had a pick in the fourth quarter.

“My coaches told me I need to be an athlete, that I need to be able to play on both sides of the ball,” said Pollard. “I just came out here to do my best.”

The Warriors made it 27-7 after a nine-play, 72-yards drive, capped by Gray’s 1-yard scoring run. The big play was a 56-yard scamper by senior Dontavious Howard, the first actual called running play of the game for Oak Grove.

“I think if we continue to get the ball into the hands of (our playmakers), we’ve got a chance to move the ball a little bit,” said Causey. 

“Our O-line played pretty well, for the most part, although they struggled a couple of times in pass protection, but that’s all right; we’ll get better.”

The second half was dominated by the defenses and the punters, but Oak Grove salted the game away in the fourth quarter, driving 62 yards on eight plays, with Barnett hitting Gray for a 13-yard touchdown pass.

“Early in the season, we weren’t throwing as many touchdowns, but now we’re starting to pick it back up,” said Barnett. “It’s playoff time. It’s time to score. O-line gave me time when I needed, and I just put the ball where it needed to be.”

Oak Grove’s win sets up a matchup a lot of fans in South Mississippi have been looking forward to all season against the undefeated Greyhounds, who got past Pearl 54-28 in their playoff opener.

“I don’t know much about them; haven’t really watched them on film,” said Causey. 

“I know they’re the No. 1 team in the state and haven’t lost a game. They’re beating people pretty bad, so we’re going to need another great week of practice, prepare the right way and see if we can’t go down there and score some points.”

(Feature photo by Keith Warren)