‘I got a target on my back.’ Picayune stars ready to defend state football title.
It won’t be easy being the reigning champions.
But that’s what head coach Cody Stogner and the Maroon Tide signed up for when they took home the 5A state title in December.
“We knew going into it that we were putting ourselves into that situation,” Stogner told the Sun Herald. “We have to get better every day to not let anybody catch us. It’s going to be hard. We got to be lucky and everybody has to buy into what we do.”
Catching up to Picayune will still be a tall order, thanks to what may well be the best backfield in the state of Mississippi.
Headlined by rising senior Dante Dowdell, who recently announced his commitment to Oregon, the Maroon Tide running back room is back in full strength following an explosive 2021 campaign.
That includes a lesser known player in the backfield that acts as the offense’s secret weapon.
“My fullback (Darnell Smith), he makes the whole play work,” Dowdell said. “Making the blocks, running up the middle, getting the short yardage plays. He makes the whole offense work.”
In addition to his blocking duties, Smith picked up 680 rushing yards and nine touchdowns last year. Around him, Dowdell and Chris Davis, a self-proclaimed “Thunder and Lightning” duo, ran for over 3,500 yards combined and 45 touchdowns.
Dowdell himself only had 581 career rushing yards before 2021’s 2,555-yard performance. The 6-foot-2 tailback won’t be sneaking up on anybody this year, but he’s not concerned about that.
“I got a target on my back, but I ain’t letting them hit the bull’s-eye,” Dowdell said.
Quietly blossoming defense
While the attention rests on Picayune’s powerful offense, the defensive unit is quietly coming together. The group pitched two shutouts last year and held their first two playoff opponents to just 16 total points.
The emergence of middle linebacker Amarion Tyson played a significant role in the Maroon Tide’s front seven. At 5-foot-8 and only a sophomore, Tyson racked up 169 tackles.
The team does have to replace linebacker Dorian Robinson, but defensive linemen Jamonte Waller and Jabari McWilliams return up front with their 186 combined stops.
“We got a lot of guys returning on that side of the ball,” Stogner said. “They’re fresh, they’re ready to play and they’re hungry. I feel like their one of the top defenses in that, we just have to go out there and prove it.”
Dowdell faces them everyday in practice and knows first-hand how important, and dangerous, the unit is.
“We got some guys that got heart and come full speed,” Dowdell said. “That’s how you win a state championship.”
Picayune returns to work on its title defense this fall. Game one for the Maroon Tide will come at home against Poplarville on August 26.
This story was originally published May 22, 2022 at 12:08 PM.
