‘That boy is something serious.’ D’Iberville senior tops 300 yards vs. Ocean Springs.
As the D’Iberville offense worked to run the final seconds off the clock Friday night in a 27-24 victory over Ocean Springs, it was fitting that senior Justin Walley had the last hand-off of the night — a powerful 23-yard run up the middle to put the game to bed.
After making 12 tackles on defense and touching the ball 17 times on offense, Walley somehow found one last jolt of energy to close out the victory for the undefeated Warriors (4-0, 2-0 in 4-6A).
“I just knew I fumbled earlier and I had to make it up to the team somehow,” Walley said. “I just had to get the first down.”
A glance at the stat sheet showed that Walley could easily be forgiven for his second half fumble.
The Minnesota Gophers commit ran 15 times for 250 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Warriors’ 431-yard rushing attack Friday night. He also caught a pair of passes for 52 yards, giving him 302 yards from scrimmage.
“He’s pretty special. He does what he has to do to make us win,” D’Iberville coach Larry Dolan said.
Of all of Walley’s big plays Friday night, none were more impressive than his 67-yard TD run early in the first quarter when he broke into the open field and made short work of the lone defensive back standing between him and the end zone.
One dip of the shoulder and he Walley was in the clear for the touchdown.
“I just gave him a little hesitation, in and out,” Walley said.
Senior tailback Justice Davis had a good few of the juke move when it happened and his eyes lit up when he was asked about Walley’s disappearing act.
“Man, that boy is something serious,” Davis said. “It was a crazy, crucial move.”
D’Iberville also got a big night out of Davis, who carried 18 times for 109 yards and a TD.
Davis and Walley found nice running room all night long behind an undersized and physical offensive line.
It was Dreyuntae Lenoir who worked his way behind that line for a 2-yard TD run with 7:14 remaining to provide the winning score.
“They’ve got heart. They’ve got a big heart,” Davis said of his offensive line.
Ocean Springs QB Brayson Hubbard injured
A young Ocean Springs squad (4-1, 1-1) put up a fight Friday night, scoring two touchdowns following a pair of D’Iberville mistakes early in the third quarter — a failed onside kick and a lost fumble at the Warriors’ 22 – to go up 24-20 with 9:32 left in the third. The Greyhounds converted with a 25-yard touchdown pass from senior Jak King to sophomore John Paul Coulter and a 21-yard TD run by junior running back David Humphries.
From that point forward, the Ocean Springs offense couldn’t quite work the ball into the red zone.
“It felt like we were really close there to letting the scales tip over,” Ocean Springs coach Blake Pennock said. “We didn’t quite capitalize.”
The defeat was made especially difficult for the Greyhounds after sophomore quarterback Brayson Hubbard, a USM baseball commit, went down with an injury to his left knee in the second quarter and stood on the sideline on crutches in the second half.
“The knee looks hyperextended, possibly more severe,” Pennock said. “He’ll have to get in and have the doctor look at it.”
Humphries led that Ocean Springs offense with 14 carries for 110 yards and one TD.
D’Iberville travels to West Harrison next and Ocean Springs will be at Biloxi.
This story was originally published October 2, 2020 at 11:45 PM.
