MERIDIAN — The phrase "whoever has the ball last will win" has already been tossed around a few times this week when describing tonight's contest between Meridian High School and Oak Grove.
And it's probably fitting. After all, that's the way things have been in this relatively-new rivalry which has quickly become one of Mississippi's best.
The latest installment in the Meridian/Oak Grove series is set for tonight at Ray Stadium, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. A near-capacity crowd is expected, and fans on both sides could see plenty of offensive fireworks.
The similarities between the teams are striking — especially on offense.
They both run the spread, and they're both loaded with big-play wide receivers. Oak Grove (6-0) is averaging 36.3 points per game; Meridian (5-1) averages 34.3. Both are 2-0 in Region 3-5A action.
So how in the world will either team slow down the other? It won't be easy, although Meridian coach Larry Weems had plenty of praise for Oak Grove's new defensive coordinator — who is a familiar face around these parts.
"They've got a new coordinator in coach (Terry) Underwood who was over at East Central," Weems said. "Teams run a lot of 4-3 defense in junior college, and that appears to be what they're running most of the time.
"I'm sure they'll have a couple of wrinkles and they'll throw a couple different things in the mix," Weems said. "He's been doing it a long time."
But ...
"We've got some guys who have seen a lot of things just like they do," Weems said. "They really can't do anything that we haven't seen, and vice-versa ... the same goes for us. We can't really do anything they haven't seen.
"It basically just gets down to your kids recognizing formations and making plays," Weems said. "Pretty much, it comes down to execution."
Oak Grove's big guns on defense who will be trying to keep the Warriors perfect include senior defensive back Ricky Bradley and senior D-lineman Ryan McSwain. Junior DL Vince Taylor and linebacker Jordan Blankenship are also key for the Warriors.
Meridian, meanwhile, relies on Michael Pack and his team-leading 64 tackles on defense. Jacoby Eason has four sacks and 49 total tackles, while Keith Austin has five sacks and 39 stops. Rashaad Houston has 45 total tackles and senior Khairi Usher has three interceptions — two of them in last week's win over Hattiesburg.
While each of those kids and several others could determine tonight's outcome, it's the big names on offense who are likely to garner more attention.
Meridian has a pair of players – quarterback Tyler Russell and wide receiver Chris Smith — who have already committed to Mississippi State. Oak Grove, however, has a junior class that is already getting plenty of Division I recruiting attention.
The biggest names are both transfers: Steve McNair, Jr., and Jay Hughes. McNair is the son of the now-retired former National Football League MVP who transferred from Oak Grove; while Hughes moved in from Oxford.
Hughes ran for three touchdowns in Oak Grove's 49-20 win over Natchez last week, while McNair hauled in five catches for 104 yards — including a 50-yarder to set up Hughes' first TD.
Quarterback James McMahon, another junior, is turning heads, while junior wideout Robert Johnson — like McNair — is already on the recruiting radar of several big-name schools.
Senior Tobias Irby is another big target at wide receiver for the Warriors — who gave head coach Nevil Barr his 200th win earlier this season. In his 26th year, Barr is now 203-95.
On the Meridian side, fans can cheer on Russell, who has been spectacular by completing an eye-popping 68 percent of his passes in 2008. The 6-foot-5 all-stater is 83-of-123 for 1,294 yards, 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
Marcus McQuarley has 10 of those TDs and 18 catches for 448 yards, while Smith has 27 catches for 407 yards and four scores. J.J. Harbin (15 catches, 182 yards) and Hamp Glover (13 catches, 101 yards) are also threats.
On the ground, Meridian will look to match Hughes with Quardarel Martin, who has 514 yards and six touchdowns through six games. James Barnett also had four rushing TDs.
Both teams also enter the contest relatively healthy — another fact which could contribute to keeping the scoreboard operator busy.
"We've got a few nicks, but everybody does this time of the year," Weems said. "This is the seventh game and it's a big one. Guys will just have to go."
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