Player of the Week: Oak Grove quarterback AJ Maddox

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - There weren’t many flaws to find in Oak Grove’s game through three weeks – a perfect 3-0 entering Friday’s showdown with Madison-Ridgeland Academy.

Head coach Drew Causey said the Warriors didn’t play their best against the Patriots but the quarterback AJ Maddox certainly did.

“I guess the one thing I can say about AJ is he’s a competitor,” Causey said.

Never did Maddox’s competitive spirit shine through more than in Oak Grove’s 45-44 overtime win over MRA.

The senior completed 24 of his 27 passes for 415 yards and four touchdowns.

“I’ve been living for this moment,” said Maddox, a Texas A&M commit. “I don’t take anyone lightly. I look at every opponent as the same. I prepare the same way and I come out to practice every day and I work my tail off. I try to engrain that into my teammates as well.”

“He’s been a great leader for us,” Causey said. “He’s the first guy to go under the tent, and whether it’s to get on the O-line or brag on the O-line or things like that, and pick his teammates up and down the sideline. He’s just done a great job. He wants to go out there, he wants to complete every pass he’s throwing. He wants to throw all the touchdown passes, wants to play really good. But more than anything, he wants us to win.”

What doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is how Maddox motivates his teammates to strive for more.

The Warriors are 4-0 but nowhere near satisfied.

“Just continue to come out to practice every day and work as hard as possible,” Maddox said. “Continue to execute on offense and defense. Me continue to be a vocal leader, allowing the guys not to get complacent.”

“I think that’s something that’s different with this team than what we’ve had probably the last couple years is these guys they fight every single play,” Causey said. “There’s no give-up in them and they’re going to fight no matter what.”

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