Patrick’s Picks: Can Biloxi football overcome a 2-week shutdown to start the season?
After being sidelined for two weeks due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the school, the Biloxi High School football team will finally open its season Friday night.
The Indians returned to the practice field on Monday in preparation for Friday’s home game against Vicksburg, which is 0-1 after falling 17-0 to Warren Central last week.
The return to practice is a relief for Biloxi coach Katlan French, who expects this year’s group to be among the most gifted teams to ever take the field for the program.
“I’m glad to be back and the kids are too,” French said. “It’s been real exciting the past couple of days (in practice).”
While Biloxi won’t be lacking on talent, the main concern for French and his staff is the team’s conditioning after practices were shut down for two weeks back on Aug. 24. There were no positive tests on the team, but 15 students at the school tested positive and another 324 were in quarantine, forcing the high school to go to virtual classes for two weeks.
“If you’re not working out and you’re out for two weeks, you’re going to lose a lot,” French said. “I think the biggest concern is being in shape and not cramping up.
“Special teams will be a big concern. We hardly had any time on special teams in Week 1 (of practice). The biggest fear is transitioning from one group to another — from defense to extra points to field goals. We’ve got to get the players running onto the field and off the field. We’re not going to understand some situations real well and sudden changes. Those are things I’m worried about.”
Is Biloxi still a favorite over Vicksburg?
In any other situation where Biloxi would be fully prepared and in shape, the team would be a heavy favorite to take down Vicksburg at home.
Senior running back K.K. Kendrick, who rushed for 1,262 yards and five touchdowns a year ago, is back. As are two senior quarterbacks who saw time behind center last year — the extremely athletic Chad O’Neal and the very reliable Tristan Pearson.
They’ll be working behind an offensive line that returns only one starter, so it may be a challenge to build momentum early on that side of the ball after missing two weeks.
Junior receiver Deon Hardin will likely be the top target in the passing game.
On defense, Biloxi is as loaded as any other team in South Mississippi.
Senior defensive back Elijah Sabbatini committed to Ole Miss in June and he isn’t the only SEC prospect on defense.
Junior defensive end R.J. Moss, a transfer from Belle Chasse, Louisiana, recently received offers from Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Miss. He stands 6-4, 245 pounds.
“He’s going to be very good for Biloxi with his grades and respect for teachers,” French said. “He’s going to be be a very good example here and he’s a tremendous player.”
At the other defensive end, junior Marcus Dickey holds offers from Akron, New Mexico, Army and South Alabama. He is listed at 6-3, 220.
Senior defensive tackle Devon Smith, who is 6-5, 270, holds scholarship offers from Kansas, South Alabama and Troy.
Senior linebacker Thomas Patterson and senior defensive back Chance Keith also add experience on defense.
As Patterson tweeted out earlier this summer, “Say a prayer for Coast offenses.”
My pick: Biloxi 24, Vicksburg 7.
My Friday night football picks
Here’s how I see the rest of Friday night’s games shaking out:
George County 28, Ocean Springs 24: Two of the most athletic quarterbacks on the Coast will do battle at Greyhound Stadium Friday night in George County senior M.J. Daniels and Ocean Springs sophomore Brayson Hubbard. This game may come down to who passes the ball better and Daniels has shown improvement in that area.
Long Beach 24, Vancleave 21: Vancleave (0-1) came oh so close to taking down rival East Central last week, falling 31-29. The Long Beach defense showed up strong in its 21-12 victory over West Harrison. This game will tell us a good deal about what to expect from both programs in the coming weeks.
Pascagoula 27, Harrison Central 24: Pascagoula (1-0) appears to have the right mix of a strong defense and a reliable ground game on offense. Harrison Central (1-0) has the potential to take the next step as a program with plenty of talent on offense, including senior receiver Jacobi Moore, but the Panthers looked like a well prepared team in last week’s 24-21 win over George County.
Moss Point 38, Gautier 35: This game could become the biggest shootout of the night. Moss Point (0-1) has one of the better passers on the Coast in senior quarterback Ruben Lee. Gautier sophomore Kaden Irving, an Ole Miss baseball commit, showed he may be due a breakout season for the Gators (1-0) after throwing completing for 431 yards and four TDs last week against Hancock.
Gulfport 31, Picayune 28: Neither team got the season started how they would have wished. Picayune (1-0) came away with a 30-20 win at Meridian, but it was a sloppy game that featured six Maroon Tide turnovers. After giving up 212 yards on the ground in a 52-29 loss at Oak Grove last week, Gulfport (0-1) will have to do better on defense.
Stone 27, Hancock 21: This will be Stone High’s season opener and the Tomcats will be a handful this season. Junior Carlos Brown ran 219 times for 1,552 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. The last time he played, he ran 46 times for 269 yards and three scores against Moss Point.
D’Iberville 21, Poplarville 10: D’Iberville (1-0) is fresh off an impressive 28-21 win at Wayne County and this will be another difficult trip for the Warriors. Poplarville (0-1) is coming off a hard-fought 13-6 loss to defending Class 3A state champion Jefferson Davis County. Poplarville will have to find a way to slow down a balanced D’Iberville offense.
St. Martin 28, Pearl River Central 20: If St. Martin can get a passing game going, the Yellow Jackets should win. St. Martin managed just 25 yards through the air last week in a 21-16 at St. Stanislaus. Pearl River Central (1-0) is coming off a 14-6 win over Sumrall and the Blue Devils will keep it almost exclusively on the ground. Expect a quick game Friday night in Carriere.
West Harrison 34, Pass Christian 28: The Hurricanes (0-1) beat a good Pass Christian squad 41-38 a year ago. I see something similar happening Friday night at West Harrison.
St. Stanislaus 28, West Marion 20: The Rockachaws showed they’re ready to compete with Moss Point for the Region 8-4A title after last week’s win over St. Martin.
East Central 20, Hazlehurst 14: Hazlehurst (0-1) has a solid defense and this should be a battle on the road for the Hornets (1-0). East Central relied on a sophomore, Eli Smith, to carry the load on offense last week, rushing 21 times for 133 yards and three touchdowns.
Bay High 21, St. Patrick 10: This will be Bay High’s season opener after Forrest County AHS canceled last week’s game due to a COVID-19 outbreak. St. Patrick opened its 2020 campaign last week with a 33-14 victory over Clarkdale. Senior quarterback Adam Ritter had 211 total yards and three touchdowns.
Resurrection 24, Leake County 14: The Region 4-1A schedule begins for RCS with this week’s game being played at Gautier. RCS (1-0) got off a strong start last week with senior Will Clemens leading the Eagles to a 23-7 victory at Bogue Chitto.
This story was originally published September 9, 2020 at 1:38 PM.
