1A State Championship Preview

All roads have led to M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, MS for this weekend’s state championship action. Two familiar names in 1A have again risen to the top with Simmons and Bay Springs. Check out who and what you need to know before kickoff at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. <strong>Simmons (13-0)</strong> The pride of Hollandale, MS, the Blue Devils have been an offensive juggernaut all year long outscoring opponents 686-56 and scoring at least 38 points in every matchup. The boys from Simmons have rolled thru the playoffs knocking off Okolona 66-0, Biggersville 66-30 and Tupelo Christian Prep 48-0. The Blue Devils are led offensively by one of the most slept on members of the class of 2022 in <a href="https://prepredzone.com/player/vontrez-rush/">[player_tooltip player_id="104163" first="Vontrez" last="Rush"]</a> who is averaging an astonishing 17.4 yards per carry. Numbers for Rush in the 2021 campaign are unbelievable: 127 carries for 2205 yards and 36 TD’s. Dee Rush, a junior, is right on the heels of Vontrez with 16 passing TD’s and 17 rushing TD’s. Altogether the Blue Devil rushing attack has ran for 3992 yards and 68 TD’s on the season. Tymon Wells plays in the center of the defensive line for Simmons and has been a load of a leader. The 6"2 280 lb senior has paced the team in tackles for the year and must be accounted for upfront. <strong>Bay Springs (11-1)</strong> The only loss in the column for Bay Springs in 2021 was a tight one to 2A contender Scott Central in early September. Much like Simmons, Bay Springs has suffocated opposing offenses and been able to run rampant themselves offensively. The playoff route has seen the Bulldogs shutout both Ethel (48-0) and Lumberton (44-0) as well as convincingly knock off West Lowndes 44-6. The ground game is the key to victory with Bay Springs. Tyrick Jones is an athlete with speed and length that has been the leader offensively in 2021 with 135 carries for 1152 yards and 17 TD’s. Anthony Ross is another powerful back that has rushed for over 1,000 yards this season and 9 TD’s. This Bay Springs bunch takes care of the football and can wear down opponents. Altogether we should be in store for a good one on Friday in Hattiesburg. Keep on the lookout for all the State Championship breakdowns this week!