With a junior-laden class which could produce as many as a half-dozen Division I signees, Oak Grove will no doubt be the odds-on favorite to win the Class 5A South State title in 2009.

But this is 2008, and Meridian High School has proven the Wildcats are hands-down the top dog in the South.

Meridian fought through dreadful and rainy conditions at Charles Armstrong Field at Ray Stadium, and the Wildcats thumped region rival Oak Grove 28-0 to win their third South State crown in the past four years.

It was the 11th victory in a row for the No. 2 ranked Wildcats, who improved to 13-1 and will face No. 1 South Panola and its 89-game winning streak for the Class 5A state championship next week in Jackson.

Oak Grove finished 12-2, with both losses coming to Meridian.

One week after holding Hattiesburg to a field goal, the MHS defense forced six turnovers — five of them interceptions — and shut out an Oak Grove team averaging nearly 35 points per game.

“Our defense just played unbelievable,” Meridian coach Larry Weems said after the Cats allowed Oak Grove a grand total of 4 yards rushing.

“They kept us in it in the first half.”

Despite a steady rain and very muddy field conditions, Meridian eventually churned out 336 yards and 20 first downs — scoring three second-half touchdowns after going 0-for-4 on their first four possessions.

“(Oak Grove) had a great scheme and they did a good job early of executing it,” Weems said. “We were able to make a few adjustments and got a few more people in (pass) protection … it just took us a while to do it.

“But the whole time, the defense was playing good,” Weems said. “They were keeping us in it, and sometimes, I don’t know how they do it.

“You look at them and think ‘How can they do what they do?’” he said. “They’re so little, but … now, they’ve got some speed. They run to the ball and they’ll hit you. They’re overachievers. They’re young, but they just keep getting better.”

The MHS ‘D’ forced Oak Grove to punt on five of its six first-half possessions, with the other ending in a Casey Crowell interception.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, got on the board with 3:30 remaining in the first half, marching it 83 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown.

The big play on the drive came when Tyler Russell lofted a 46-yard pass to J.J. Harbin that put the Cats in business at the Oak Grove 19.

A pass interference call later set MHS up at the OG 2, and two plays later, Quardarel Martin churned his way in from there. Jett Miller’s kick made it 7-0.

The defining moment offensively for Meridian came midway through the third quarter.

On a third down, Russell found an open Chris Smith in the end zone. But the ball bounced off Smith’s fingertips, off his facemask and to the ground.

So what happened on fourth-and-11? Russell promptly went right back to nearly the same spot in the end zone — hitting Harbin for an 18-yard touchdown pass and a 14-0 lead.

“Our guys believe in what they can do,” Weems said. “They don’t get shook … they don’t panic.

“Early on, with the conditions, we were just really playing for field position. Both teams were playing it close to the vest,” Weems said. “We just had to be patient until some opportunities presented themselves.”

With the way Meridian’s defense played, those opportunities kept presenting themselves in the second half.

An interception by MHS’ Shaquille Fluker set up Meridian’s second TD of the third quarter — as Russell went right back to Smith. The two Mississippi State commitments split a pair of defenders for a 23-yard touchdown pass this time, and Miller’s kick made it 21-0 with 3:39 on the third-quarter clock.

With 8:48 remaining in the fourth, Oak Grove quarterback James McMahon was sacked and fumbled, with the Wildcats recovering at the OG 13. Two plays later, Marcus McQuarley scored from 14 yards away on an end-around pitch and Miller’s kick made it a rout at 28-0.

Crowell finished with a pair of interceptions, Fluker had one, Keith Austin had one and Jamiee Clayton had the last with 1:27 remaining.

McMahon finished 13-of-30 passing for 117 yards.

Russell was 13-of-29 for 165 yards and two touchdowns, but with two numbers which proved more important: 11 drops, 0 interceptions.

The Wildcats also managed 171 yards on the ground, with Martin’s 56 yards on 13 carries leading a balanced attack.

Harbin had four catches for 93 yards and Smith had five for 55.