Picayune rolls past Gautier in season finale 42-14
GAUTIER — Five Picayune runners recorded seven runs of over 25 yards each as the Maroon Tide closed the 2021 regular season beating Gautier 42-14 in Thursday night Region 4-5A action.
Region 4-5A has been decided, with Picayune (10-1) taking first in the region followed by George County (6-4), East Central (7-3), and Gautier (7-3).
Picayune, Ranked No. 4 in Class 5A in the SB Live Power Rankings, is still looking to see who they will be playing. “We know we’ll be at home and the game will start at 7," Picayune coach Cody Stogner said. "We’ll be there and on time.” Gautier will likely travel to Soso to face No. 2 West Jones.
Picayune, senior offensive lineman Isaiah Evans said, has some unfinished business in the playoffs after losing to eventual Class 5A state champion West Jones last year and losing the 2019 title to West Point.
“We want to take it all the way this year,” he said.
Picayune went into last year’s meeting with West Jones losing their final two games of the regular season. This year, they'll Maroon Tide go into the first round on a seven-game winning streak. Their last loss came more than a month ago to D'Iberville, who finished second behind top ranked Ocean Springs, in Region 4-6A.
“We didn’t have any momentum last year,” Stogner said. “It’s great to have momentum on our side this year.”
And, with the Maroon Tide’s not winning the state title in 2019 and its early exit last year, Stogner said, “Our guys are really hungry for the playoffs this year. We have to get ready to work for next Friday.”
The Maroon Tide started early with the big plays, with quarterback Dawson Underwood running the naked reverse around the right side of the Gautier line for 27 yards. Two plays later, Dante Dowdell went 44 yards for Picayune’s first score. On Picayune’s next possession, Underwood hit Noah Carter on a 37-yard pass play, setting up Darnell Smith on a 3-yard power run to lengthen the Maroon Wave lead to 14-0.
Later in the first quarter, Chris Davis broke off a 31-yard run, setting up Dowdell’s second score of the night, this time on a 5-yard run, putting Picayune up 21-0 eight minutes into the game.
Evans said he loved seeing the running backs break away for large gains. “It makes us feel that we have done our job on the offensive line,” he said. “We don’t the glory [for the runs], but it feels good to see them break away for a touchdown.”
Stogner said he didn’t necessarily count on long runs, that the Maroon Tide’s running game was predicated on gaining 3-to-5 yards a play and controlling the clock. .”But, it’s great anytime you can get the homerun.”
While Picayune was off to the races early, Gautier struggled against a very stiff wind on a cold night to get their passing game going. Kaden Irving got off to a slow start, hitting just four of his first 10 passes for 14 yards.
“We challenged our defensive backs all week,” Stogner said, noting it was difficult to prepare for a passing team that rarely runs the ball as a running team that rarely passes the ball. “Our defensive backs rose to the challenge.”
Gautier coach Marc High agreed that Gautier had no answers on offense. “They shut us down. They did a great job of covering our receivers and a great job of getting to our quarterback.”
With the playoffs looming next week, High said the Gators had to keep going. "We have to come back tomorrow and work and get better," he said. "And, we will get better.”
With Dowdell leading the way with 182 yards and two scores on 16 carries, the Maroon Tide finished with 388 yards. Davis finished with 66 yards on 11 carries and two scores while Smith, with a 50-yard sprint up the middle on Picayune’s first possession of the second half, added 58 yards and two scores on six carries.
Underwood finished 5-of-7 passing with 77 yards. In addition to his 37-yard first-quarter strike to Carter, he connected with Justin Martz on a 28-yard throw and run in the third quarter to give Picayune a total of nine explosive plays on the night. Carter had three catches for 49 yards. Niquis Ratcliff led the Maroon Tide defense with six stops.
Irving finished with 200 yards passing and touchdown throws of four yards to Kelvin Beavers and 14 yards to Derrell Ray on 17-of-45 passing with two picks. Aydan Morgan had seven catches for 100 yards and added 19 yard run.
