Ocean Springs football won't be lacking in playmakers on offense

The Ocean Springs offense leaned heavily on Austin Williams to provide the big play a year ago.

Now that Williams is currently catching passes during fall camp at Mississippi State, the Greyhounds have to find other ways to get in the end zone. Williams caught 48 passes for 697 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, accounting for 70 percent of the Greyhounds’ passing yardage.

While there’s no dominant go-to target in the passing game this season, the Greyhounds aren’t lacking in playmakers.

Quarterback Malcolm Magee and running back Daveaunce Gaines are entering their senior seasons after showing promise a year ago. Magee threw for 727 yards and nine touchdowns while running 68 times for 370 yards and seven scores. Gaines ran 117 times for 606 yards and four touchdowns to lead the team in rushing.

Magee has had a busy offseason that included increased interest from Division I programs in the region. Troy, Nicholls, Alcorn State, Southeastern Louisiana and Central Arkansas have all offered him scholarships.

The programs currently recruiting him like him as either a receiver or a defensive back and he’ll likely see time at those positions this season.

“Malcolm is a guy we’re going to move around and give him some plays in other positions,” Ocean Springs head coach Ryan Ross said. “That means other guys will have to step in and play at those positions when we move Malcolm around.”

When Magee is lining up at receiver, the man who will be throwing him the football is sophomore Blake Noblin.

Gaines should see his carries increase significantly this season.

“He’s going to be our workhorse,” Ross said. “He’s a great young man who works hard. He had a good spring and summer. He’ll be one our leaders. He’ll want the football in his hands as much as possible.”

Senior Socratese Meza-Ayala will also see some carries for the Greyhounds, who finished 5-6 and 2-5 in Region 4-6A last season.

Gaines and Meza-Ayala will be running behind an offensive line that Ross believes has “a lot of gelling to do.”

A pair of seniors, Grant Ezell (6-foot-2, 270) and Ryan Howell (5-8, 210), will likely line up at the two tackle positions. Senior Elijah Hyde (5-8, 240) and junior Conner Sharp (5-10, 250) are set to be the guards and junior Ethan Kirkpatrick (5-8, 185) is on track to be the center.

Ocean Springs will rely on a pair of junior receivers, Khalil Levy and Ryson Rivers, and a senior tight end, Peyton Sams (6-0, 185).

“We’ll have a few options,” Magee said of his receiving corps. “We’re going to be running out of the shotgun so it will be easier on my part to see the field.”

Defense

On defense, Ocean Springs has featured one of the better secondaries on the Coast in recent seasons. Along with Magee, senior Ethan Ramsey will be the leaders of that group.

“Ethan Ramsey is going to play on both sides of the ball,” Ross said. “He’s a good one, an athlete for us.”

Junior Evan Hill will be the centerpiece of the Ocean Springs defensive line. The 5-foot-11, 286-pound Hill is set to line up at nose tackle. Senior Jaden Smith and sophomore Donovan Seay will be the defensive ends.

Drew Jones is the lone senior set to start at linebacker along with a pair of juniors, Bo Dukes and Mitchell Bowie.

Senior Ashton Garner, who kicked a pair of field goals in reserve duty last year, should give Ocean Springs one of the better punter/kickers on the coast.

“We need to play good defense, protect the football on offense and not make those mistakes that cost you,” Ross said. “We always play sound special teams. We work hard on that.

“We’re just going to try to be competitive, be the best we can and win games in the fourth quarter. We’ll have to play disciplined football to have a chance to win. I like our group. They’re a good team, good young men that have been working hard. Hopefully they’ll go out there and continue to have fun.”

This story was originally published August 1, 2017 at 4:00 AM with the headline "Ocean Springs football won't be lacking in playmakers on offense."