The offensive success that Picayune enjoyed all season on the football field was a major reason the Maroon Tide brought home the gold ball.

And, even though Picayune’s powerful ground game is well documented, the passing attack that was evident in the 42-35 win over Oxford Saturday night allowed the Maroon Tide to have  more of a balanced attack as well.

Preston Dedeaux ran 31 times for 192 yards and three touchdowns to  pace Picayune, while Kardarius Cross totaled 94 yards on six carries and DeAndre Anderson added 16 carries for 68 yards.

Most of Cross’ total came on a 75-yard scoring scamper with just over two minutes to play that capped a fast and furious 21 point unanswered streak over a five minute span that won the game for the Maroon Tide.

“We  didn’t stop them,” Oxford head coach Johnnie Hill said. “They just kept going wide, and then he’d  cut up. First half, he was running inside, and we got that shut down. Then they started going outside. They did a good job, and they made some  big plays on us.

“We just didn’t have enough force and ran out of gas tonight. It is what it is. You have to tip your  hat off to Picayune. They played well.”

Both Dedeaux and Anderson eclipsed milestones in the state title game, as Dedeaux cracked the magical 2,000 yard rushing mark and Anderson  broke the 1,000 yard barrier as well.

Dedeaux finished the season with 2,043 yards rushing and 30 touchdowns, while Anderson ran for 1,050 yards this season. Meanwhile, Cross and wingback Daveon Greene combined to run for over 1,100 yards on the season as well.

And although Oxford did a solid job of defending the wingback reverse, Maroon Tide wingback Daveon Greene got into the scoring action through the air as he hauled in a 47-yard touchdown toss from Boderick Scott. Scott also hit tight end Alex Aaron on a 92-yard scoring strike, giving Picayune four players that scored touchdowns in the game.

Scott attempted just six passes, completing three, but threw for 140 yards in the game giving him a total of 1,343 yards through the air this season. He also threw for 14 scores.

The scoring pass to Greene was the play that ignited Picayune’s rally from a two-touchdown, fourth-quarter deficit.