Ocean Springs football taking aim at 7A championship under new coach
Jake Bramlett isn’t so interested in a rebuild at Ocean Springs.
The newly minted head coach has the reigns to the Greyhounds program after serving as offensive coordinator the last three seasons and has no plans to slow the momentum built in recent years.
Bramlett is wrapping up his first spring in the head role filled when Blake Pennock left his post for the same position at Gulfport.
Pennock’s departure also coincides with back-to-back Mr. Football winner and Alabama enrollee Bray Hubbard’s graduation, but Bramlett doesn’t see a reset button in his office.
“The big picture that we brought in here three years ago was that we’re not just competing with the Coast anymore, we’re trying to get to the top of the state,” Bramlett told the Sun Herald. “We feel like over the last three years we earned a spot at the big boy table. Now it’s time to stand on top of it.”
Bramlett is an offensive-minded coach who helped build the uniquely high-powered offense that has averaged 42 points a contest over the last 25 games.
It’s the other side of the ball, though, that the Greyhounds had built a reputation for aggression and disruptiveness across the state.
In order to maintain the status quo, Bramlett made his splashiest hire in bringing in Pass Christian head coach Chase Carmody to run his defense.
“We want controlled chaos on the defensive side of the ball,” Bramlett said. “(Carmody) brought a lot of that to the table. Schematically it’ll change a little bit, but it’s still linebackers moving all over the place... We’ve got some linebackers that are really good pass rushers so we’re going to be sending them left and right.”
A veteran core that includes pass rushing specialist Trace Carter and rising talent Kenderek Weathers is a key reason why players and coaches are so high on their prospects this season.
The excitement is being generated by more than just the on-field production. The familiar presence of Bramlett has allowed for a quick buy-in from the players into the new era.
“I think it’s great, we were real excited when we found out he was going to be the head coach,” Quarterback Will Berglind said. “We all know him, we know he wants the best for the program.”
Quarterback race to fill Hubbard’s shoes
Berglind is one of two quarterbacks battling to fill the electric Hubbard’s shoes for OSHS. The rising senior threw for 97 yards last season and tossed a touchdown against Harrison Central.
His competition is an uber-athletic rising sophomore in Sherroid Whitehead. The quarterback-cornerback athlete was pulled up to varsity late last season after terrorizing JV defenses to the tune of 24 touchdowns in six games.
“Every day you know you’re going to get a battle,” Whitehead said on the competition with Berglind. “Every single day you know you’re going to get better. How can you not like that as an athlete?”
The pair bring different styles to the table and Bramlett is working to build out the offense around their skill sets. Berglind has a game-manager approach with an adept ability to work through progressions and spread the ball around.
Whitehead is described as a dynamic athlete who can and does make plays with his feet, similar to the last starting quarterback.
Bramlett says both are too athletic to keep off the field. When one isn’t playing quarterback, the other will be in between the lines “at all times,” according to Bramlett.
“They’re not just going to be standing over there by me, they’re going to be affecting the game in some way, shape, form or fashion,” Bramlett said.
Berglind has been learning the defensive schemes this spring and will be actively involved on that side of the ball during the season, while Whitehead can play any skill position on offense, as well as line up at corner on defense.
Whitehead has already garnered attention from the next level, receiving offers from both Florida State and Penn State thanks to what Bramlett calls “explosive” athleticism.
The Greyhounds open the 2023 season on Aug. 25 at Madison Central before the home opener against Scotlandville (La.) on Sep1. 1.
