Brookhaven’s Dre Ross and Wesson’s Stevie Martin are this week’s Daily Leader Players of the Week.

Ross rushes past Natchez to OPOW honors

The Natchez High football staff won’t shed any tears when Brookhaven High senior quarterback Dre Ross walks across King Field in May at graduation.

Ross finished his 3-year career as a starter with a 3-0 record against the Bulldogs, including a 49-20-win Friday in Adams County. It was with his legs where Ross did the most damage against NHS as he rushed seven times for 118 yards and three scores.

For his outstanding performance, Ross has been named The Daily Leader Offensive Player of the Week.

The signal caller wasn’t the only Panther running wild through the Natchez High defense Friday. Sophomore running back Xavier Gayten added 118 yards and one score on just nine carries. Senior Javonta Steward also added an impressive 81 yards on three touches with two touchdowns as well.

Next up for Ross and his team is a Thursday night matchup at South Jones in the regular season finale.

BHS and coach Tucker Peavey need to win over the Braves and then have some help if they’re going to grab second place in the region and host a playoff game.

The Panthers have won four of their last five games, with only a 20-14 overtime loss at Wayne County, marring that hot streak.

The sensational play of Ross has been a big part of that success. Against Florence he went 5-of-8 passing for 147 yards and two scores.

The speed that Ross possess has some schools looking at him as a defensive back on the next level.

That’s fine with Ross, he’s a ball player and wants the opportunity to keep playing the game he loves. More than anything though, he wants to suit up at least one more time and run out onto King Field with the Ole Brook football brotherhood.

DPOW Martin and Cobra defense ready for playoffs

Wesson coach Jeremy Loy and his Wesson Cobras are postseason participants again after transitioning back to 3A football this season.

The year has been one filled with injuries and quarantines and all the other things that teams and schools deal with in 2021.

The Cobras have never stopped fighting though and Friday they picked up a 49-13 win over McLaurin to lock up that playoff position.

Junior defensive end Stevie Martin led the Cobra defense with six tackles, including four for a loss, against McLaurin. For his outstanding play, Martin has been named The Daily Leader Defensive Player of the Week.

Loy and defensive coordinator Hank Jordan had plans on Martin anchoring one side of the defensive line while fellow junior Cody Munn held down the other side.

The pair did that and did it well in the early going of the season, but an injury against Wilkinson County had Munn out for six games. Munn made his return against McLaurin and he and Martin made the night miserable for the Tiger offensive line.

The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Martin has been in on 46 tackles this season for Wesson, with 10 coming for a loss.

Wesson will need another big game out of Martin and Munn and the rest of the defense Friday when they travel to face Tylertown in a MHSAA 3A first round playoff game.

Tylertown is 10-0 and has two SEC commits that play wide receiver.

What helps Wesson is knowing they can play with the Chiefs. The Cobras jumped out to a big leader over THS when the teams met back on Aug. 28.