OCEAN SPRINGS – Ocean Springs spotted Biloxi an early lead, then blew past the Indians 42-21 at Hugh Pepper Field on Friday night in Region 4-7A action.
Ocean Springs, in winning its seventh straight game, improved to 3-0 in region play and 7-1 overall. The Greyhounds travel to Gulfport next week in a duel for the region championship. Biloxi fell to 4-5, 1-2. The Indians take on Harrison Central next week.
Biloxi struck first on the third play of the game, as quarterback Zach Marlin hit Jaylan Johnson on an 80-yard scoring strike on a screen pass with 10:21 left in the first quarter.
Ocean Springs started its 42-point first-half avalanche following a recovery of a Biloxi fumble at the Indians 25 on Biloxi’s second possession of the game. Four plays later, senior quarterback William Berglind scored on a 1-yard plunge to tie the game at 7.
After holding Biloxi on downs late in the first quarter, Ocean Springs drove 58 yards to take the lead for good. Junior running back Bryhsen Smith scored the first of his two touchdowns, racing in from 25 yards out. Peyton Williams then kicked the second of six PATs on the night.
After Trace Carter intercepted a Marlin pass, junior running back Will Smith scored on a 5-yard run. That was the first of his two TD runs and pushed the Greyhound lead to 21-7.
Bryhsen Smith helped Ocean Springs begin to pull away to 28-7 when he returned a Biloxi punt 74 yards for a touchdown.
Will Smith notched his second TD on a 27-yard run, and then Berglind tossed a 15-yard TD pass to Wyatt Finley to cap off the 42-point uprising.
Biloxi notched the only two scores of the second half.
Darrion Perkins picked off a Jack Jordan pass and returned it for a touchdown with 6:08 left in the third quarter. Backup quarterback Wyatt Pyron added a scoring run in the fourth quarter.
Berglind, who did not play in the second half, completed 10 of 12 passes in the first half for 100 yards and one TD.
