By Stan Caldwell/Sports Writer

HATTIESBURG — It was another close one that got away for Ocean Springs.

The Greyhounds had top-ranked Oak Grove on the ropes in the second half, but the Warriors rallied behind their defense and a stout ground game to take a 35-21 victory in a big non-region contest Friday night at Warrior Field.

Ocean Springs dropped its second straight loss to a Top 10 team to open the season; Oak Grove improved to 2-0.

This one may have gotten away from Ocean Springs in the first half, after making two deep forays into Warrior territory that came up empty.

“I put a lot of this on the sloppiness of what we were doing in the first half,” said Ocean Springs head coach Jake Bramlett. “We got the ball in scoring position twice and we couldn’t put it in. That’s on us. 

“It happened that way last week too. We had chances to put the game away and we didn’t do it.”

In defeat, however, the Hounds may have found the player who can carry them this season in junior Sharroid Whitehead, who dashed and darted for 177 yards on 22 carries, including a 70-yard scamper to put OS ahead 21-14 in the third quarter.

“That’s what he does,” said Bramlett. “He comes over to the quarterback position and he takes over ball games. We need a little bit more at the end, and we need a little bit more in the passing game.

After a scoreless first quarter, Oak Grove drew first blood on the first play of the second quarter, on a 13-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Kellen Hall to senior Kaiden Smith, capping a 10-play, 64-yard drive.

Ocean Springs came right back with its best sustained drive of the game, moving their own 32-yard line to a first-and-goal at the Warrior 7. 

Senior Will Smith Jr. had an 11-yard run to get the Greyhounds untracked, senior Bryshen Smith had a 14-run, then Whitehead dashed around right end for 32 yards on a keeper, all on consecutive plays.

But on first-and-goal, Whitehead lost 3 yards, a false start and a 5-yard sack pushed the Hounds back to the 20, and junior Peyton Williams’ 37-yard field goal attempt was partially blocked and fell no good.

Oak Grove gave the ball right back after a brief possession and Ocean Springs once again marched into the Warriors’ end of the field, reaching the OG 25 before disaster struck. 

Whitehead was unable to field a high snap, and junior Melvin Jones recovered for Oak Grove at the Warrior 42.

Oak Grove needed just eight plays to take a 14-0 lead, including a 33-yard burst by junior Chevel Williams to the OS 28 to convert a third-and-29. After one incompletion, Hall threw a strike to senior A.J. Lewis for the touchdown.

Although the Greyhound defense won several battles at the line of scrimmage, the Oak Grove running game proved to be hard to stop. The Warriors rushed for 254 yards, with four backs sharing the load.

Senior Kylin Champaign got the most carries, 16 for 68 yards, but Oak Grove had three other backs who had at least 55 yards.

“Our running game carried us tonight,” said Oak Grove coach Drew Causey. “This three-headed monster we’ve got are all very talented. They can take it to the house at any time, and they’re very unselfish.”

Oak Grove had a chance to add to its lead at the beginning of the second half, recovering an onside kick and driving to the Greyhound 13. 

But the Hounds stiffened, and senior Bryant Ausmer burst up the middle, blocked the kick, scooped up the ball and ran untouched for a 75-yard scoring play that turned the game in Ocean Springs’ favor.

It didn’t take long for the Hounds to even the contest, getting the ball right back after a three-and-out. On third-and-4 from the OS 30, Whitehead slipped through a hole off left tackle, got to the sideline and raced untouched for a 70-yard touchdown run.

Another three-and-out, followed by a poor punt, gave Ocean Springs the ball at the Warrior 45. Six plays got the Hounds into the end zone on Whitehead’s 6-yard touchdown run, after converting a third down with a 19-yard run.

It looked like the Greyhounds had the Warriors pinned back after a 9-yard loss on a pass play, followed by a false start, pushed OG back to its own 6-yard-line.

But on third-and 24, Hall delivered a 32-yard strike to senior Charles Stevenson, and Hall rode that momentum for a touchdown drive that ended when Hall found junior Deavious Weary for a 20-yard touchdown pass on a blown coverage.

“We’ve got some great wide receivers,” said Hall. “I know I can depend on them at all times to make plays for me. It’s great to be in this position.”

Hall was inconsistent at times, but he completed 13 of 22 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns.

Oak Grove scored the winning touchdown after a disastrous sequence in which the Greyhounds were flagged for intentional grounding, an 18-yard loss with the 5-yard penalty from the spot of the foul.

On the next play, Whitehead was stripped of the ball and Charles Barnes picked up the fumble and roared 19 yard for the score.

Although the Hounds ran for 202 yards, their passing game was anemic, just 4 of 19 for 28 yards.

“That’s what they do,” Bramlett said. “They go zero coverage, they make you decide what you’re going to do, and what we could do was run the ball. They bowed their necks up there in the fourth quarter and made a couple of stops.”

The Warriors salted the game away when sophomore Roman Causey scampered around left end for a 62-yard touchdown run with 1:52 remaining in the game.

Ocean Springs will return home next week to face Northwest Rankin.

“We handle business as always, starting on Sunday,” Bramlett said. “They’ll wipe the slate clean and keep going. They know these first two games are a measuring stick for a young team.

“It doesn’t mean anything to them now; it’s still a loss, but playing this game gets us headed in the right direction.”