A high scoring, back and forth affair Friday night between Picayune’s Maroon Tide and Gulfport’s Admirals saw Picayune come out on top 54-47.

The teams traded scoring drives all night, with the Maroon Tide able to find the decisive score in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.

Running back Cameron Thomas had a monstrous game on the ground, amassing over 300 yards of total offense and providing the winning touchdown.

While offensively Picayune performed well, Head Coach Dodd Lee said that the team made some mistakes defensively.

“I don’t think we gave them (big plays) up because of physical problems,” Lee said. “I think it was just blown assignments, or people not on the same page. And lack of experience in some cases as well.”

Lee said he wishes the team could play the game again because he feels the coaching staff and players can improve upon last week’s result.

“I think we can coach better, and our kids can sell out a little bit more,” Lee said. “If they do that we have a pretty good chance of having a good football team.”

The expectation is that every player on the team is all in, and that requires dedication and sacrifice on the part of the players.

Lee knows what’s required to be successful, and he needs to see that kind of work ethic from his players.

“I’m talking about selling out, and being very detailed in what you do, how you prepare and how you work,” Lee said.

A big part of the team’s success so far this season has been its running attack.

Thomas and the rest of the backs run hard, but it all starts up front with the offensive linemen controlling the line of scrimmage. “They believe in what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and what we’re doing it for,” Lee said. “When the opportunity presented itself, we had to make a big play and we were able to do that.” The team will look to continue its perfect start to the season as they head up Highway 11 to face the Poplarville Hornets on September 20.