By CURTIS ROCKWELL
Item Sports Editor
Nothing is certain but death and taxes.. and apparently the visiting team winning in the regular season when Picayune plays Moss Point.
Those are the three constants it seems, and unfortunately the second ranked Maroon Tide did nothing to change that theory when the teams met once again in this annual series Friday night.
Fifth ranked Moss Point completely dominated three of the four quarters of play, sending the second ranked and home Tide reeling in a 41-19 defeat.
It marked the sixth straight time in this annual series that the visiting team won in the regular season.
The Tigers controlled the line of scrimmage from the out set, and jumped out to a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter. The Tigers ran roughshod over the Tide and rushed for almost 400 yards in the win.
“They whipped us, you have to give them credit,” Picayune head coach Dodd Lee said. “But we had our chances, they just made the plays and we didn’t.”
And those plays were made early and often by Moss Point, beginning wuth an interception in the Tigers end zone that thwarted a possible Picayune lead when the Tigers lead 3-0 just minutes into the game.
Moss Point’s Jason Loris had given MPHS a 3-0 lead with a 32-yard field goal on the Tigers opening drive. After the interception, Moss Point immediately marched 80 yards and Byron James made it 10-0 o a 2-yard scoring run.
Another Picayune turnover resulted in a 56 yard touchdown run by Reginal Matthews, and the Tigers led 17-0.
“I thought we lacked a sense of urgency, and that’s something we definitely have to take care of,” Lee added. “We fought back, but we could never get there.”
Picayune’s Jamal Hall, who ripped off a 72-yard run on the first Picayune offensive play of the season, helped the Tide cut the lead with a 2-yard scoring run late in the second quarter. But Moss Point immediately responded by driving for another score before halftime as Quayshawn Williams scored on a 10-yard bootleg with 1:21 to play before intermission making it 24-6 at the half.
The Tide controlled the third frame, as Hall scored on a 3-yard plunge.
Picayune quarterback Jacob Kennedy then scored on a 1-yard sneak on the first play of the final frame, pulling Picayune within five at 24-19.
But Moss Point would again respond, tallying the final 17 points of the game and shuting out Picayune the rest of the way for the win.
Matthews added a 52-yard scoring run, while Williams hit Darrius Stallworth on an 18-yard scoring pass. Loris also added a 38-yard field goal.
The loss overshadowed a tremendous night running the ball for the junior Hall, who set a career mark with 202 yards rushing on 27 carries and he scored the two times.
“There were a lot of times in the game when we were not fundamentally sound,” Lee concluded. “But now we’ve got a starting point, and we know what we have to do to get better.”
Picayune travels for a first ever meeting with Forrest County AHS Friday.
The Aggies are 2-0.
