Sports - High School

Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009

Rivalry night concludes the regular season

It could be called “Rivalry Friday’’ tonight with three of the natural football rivalries on the Coast taking place.

Gulfport (5-5) and Biloxi (3-7) renew their long rivalry, with bragging rights on the line in a televised game.

D’Iberville (4-6, 4-2) visits St. Martin (4-6, 3-3) in a duel of neighbors that will determine Region 4-5A seeding for the state playoffs.

Also Vancleave (5-5, 2-4) travels to East Central (3-7, 2-4) in another rivalry game in Region 4-5A that has an impact on the No. 4 seed in the region.

The duel in Biloxi Stadium should come down to the effectiveness of the running game for each team. Biloxi, running out of the I-formation, is led by tailback Travoris Robinson who has galloped for 953 yards on 172 carries.

Gulfport, which alternates between the I-formation and spread, counters with the quarterback-tailback combo of Derrick Lattimore and Shadale Chambers. Chambers has rushed for 825 yards on 111 carries while Lattimore has 820 yards on 122 carries.

If it comes down to passing, Lattimore has thrown for 670 yards while Biloxi quarterback Hawtin Buchanan has thrown for 541 yards.

D’Iberville and St. Martin has met every year since 1967, with D’Iberville holding a 36-9-1 edge. At one time the schools were so close that when they had home games on the same night, fans could see the lights of the other stadium in the distance.

That changed when St. Martin High School moved east off Old Fort Bayou Road.

St. Martin needs a win to wrap up the No. 3 seed in Region 4-5A. If the Yellow Jackets lose, then they could fall into a three-way tie for fourth with either Long Beach, Vancleave or East Central.

The Warriors will be trying to contain elusive St. Martin quarterback Eugene Walton, who has run for 1,209 yards and 15 touchdowns. Halfback Daryl Richardson has galloped for 524 yards.

D’Iberville counters with the passing of Jake Ladner (909 yards), the receiving of Greyson Chambless (30 catches, 628 yards) and the running of Joe Prine (592 yards).

“When I was here before, it was big rivalry because of the closeness of the schools,’’ D’Iberville coach Buddy Singleton said. “It was like Ole Miss and LSU, with egg throwing and students having signs. I don’t think it’s quite as big but they are still a rival.

“St. Martin has their best team in a while. We will have to play off our rears to beat them. Walton is like a waterbug trying to tackle him. He is a lot like (former D’Iberville standout) Mark Seymour.’’

“I’m proud of our young men,’’ St. Martin coach Ed Stanley said. “They’ve learned how to compete.”