Prep roundup: Here is what happened this weekend in high school football
Ocean Springs clinched its first undefeated regular season since 1972 with a 38-13 victory over Harrison Central in the Region 4-6A season finale Thursday night at Lyman.
The Greyhounds (10-0 overall, 7-0 region) had already clinched the region championship, while the Red Rebels (7-3, 4-3) finished fourth in the region.
Bray Hubbard accounted for five touchdowns, passing for four scores and running for another. The junior standout completed 19 of 27 passes for 253 yards. Nine passes went to Holton White for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Ocean Springs opened the scoring on the opening possession of the game with a 35-yard pass from Hubbard to Evan McNally. HC answered with a 14-yard touchdown run by Christian Turner, but it was all Hounds after that.
Hubbard put Ocean Springs ahead for good early in the second quarter on a 10-yard pass to J.P. Coulter, then added a 3-yard touchdown run. The Greyhounds made it 28-7 at halftime with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Hubbard to White with 29 seconds left in the first half.
The Red Rebels closed the margin with a score on the opening drive of the second half, but Ocean Springs added a 13-yard TD pass from Hubbard to White and a 37-yard field goal by Bart Edmiston.
The Greyhounds will open the Class 6A playoffs next week at home against Pearl, while Harrison Central travels to Brandon to open the postseason.
Gulfport 27, Biloxi 19
The Admirals prevailed in a hard-fought contest in the 96th meeting between the two archrivals in Region 4-6A action Thursday at Biloxi.
Gulfport (7-4 overall, 5-2 region) clinched the third seed in the region with the victory. Biloxi completed its season at 3-7 and 2-5.
De’Shawn Adkins scored twice on runs of 6 yards and 4 yards and Jacob Palazzo had a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that put the Admirals ahead for good.
After spotting the Indians an early field goal, Adkins scored his first TD of the game early in the second quarter. On the ensuing possession, the Admiral defense recovered a bad snap on a punt in the end zone to make it 14-3.
Biloxi regained the lead late in the second quarter on touchdown runs by Chris Norwood and Deon Hardin for a 16-14 halftime lead.
Palazzo’s go-ahead score was set up by a 59-yard interception return by Rodriguez Williams. The Indians added another field goal late in the third quarter to narrow the margin, but Adkins’ second touchdown with 2:45 to play in the game iced the win.
Gulfport will be on the road to open the Class 6A playoffs next week against defending state champion Oak Grove.
Picayune 42, Gautier 14
The Maroon Tide tuned up for the Class 5A playoffs with a dominant victory over the Gators Thursday in Region 4-5A action at Gautier.
Picayune (10-1 overall, 7-0 region) jumped out to a 21-0 first-half lead and never looked back against the Gators (7-3, 4-3).
Dante Dowdell put the Maroon Tide ahead 7-0 on a 44-yard run on the game’s opening possession, and Picayune made it 14-0 on a 3-yard run by Darnell Smith after a 37-yard pass play from Dawson Underwood to Noah Carter.
Chris Davis had a 31-yard run to set up Dowdell’s second touchdown, on a 5-yard run late in the first quarter.
Dowdell finished with 182 rushing yards on 16 carries, Davis added 66 yards on 11 carries and Smith had 58 yards on six runs, most coming on a 50-yard touchdown run early in the second half. Picayune amassed 388 rushing yards for the game.
Kaden Irving had a pair of touchdown passes, 4 yards to Kelvin Benson and 14 yards to Derrell Ray, completing 17 of 45 passes for 200 yards.
Picayune will be at home to open the playoffs next week against the No. 4 seed from Region 3-5A, either Hattiesburg or Laurel. Fourth-seeded Gautier will be on the road to open the postseason against the top seed from 3-5A, at West Jones or Hattiesburg.
East Central 42, Vancleave 35
The Hornets rallied in the final minutes to get past the Bulldogs in Region 4-5A play Thursday at Hurley.
Deuce Hugger’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Farris then ran for a two-point conversion with a minute to play to give East Central (7-3 overall, 5-2 region) the comeback victory. Vancleave finished its season 4-7 and 3-4.
Despite the loss, senior Dayan Bilbo finished with 180 yards on 30 carries and three touchdowns for the Bulldogs. He finished the season with 2,577 rushing yards on 391 carries and a whopping 40 touchdowns.
Hugger put the Hornets ahead early with a 50-yard touchdown run and Andrew Marble made it 14-0 on a 4-yard run.
Hunter Parker’s 30-yard touchdown run got Vancleave back in the game, but Eli Smith restored the two-touchdown lead for East Central with a 7-yard run midway through the second quarter.
Bilbo had a 56-yard run to bring the Bulldogs, but Dylan Whitefield recovered a fumble in the end zone to give the Hornets a 28-14 halftime lead.
Bilbo opened the second half with a 4-yard touchdown, but Farris made it 34-21 with an 18-yard run before Vancleave rallied. Bilbo’s 2-yard run late in the third quarter and a 12-yard touchdown pass from Parker to Oscar Hampton put the Bulldogs ahead 35-34.
After the Hornets go-ahead score, Vancleave drove into the red zone in the final minute, but Matthew Combs intercepted a pass to ice the victory.
Third-seeded East Central will travel for the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs next week at either West Jones or Brookhaven.
Moss Point 40, Northeast Jones 0
The Tigers opened the Class 4A playoffs in smashing fashion with the shutout victory Friday at Moss Point.
Moss Point (7-4 overall) held Northeast Jones to just 62 yards of total offense, led by Kaleb Raston with 10 tackles.
Terrence Goodwin opened the scoring with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Larry Simmons, Tavion Evans had a 13-yard run in the second quarter and Simmons put the Tigers ahead 21-0 at halftime with a 6-yard run.
Jonathan Thompson had touchdown runs of 65 and 57 yards in the second half. Goodwin completed 9 of 14 passes for 122 yards and two touchdown passes for Moss Point.
The Tigers advanced to the second round of the playoffs next week and will host Poplarville.
D’Iberville 34, St. Martin 20
The Warriors prepped for the postseason with a victory over the Yellow Jackets in Region 4-6A play Thursday at St. Martin.
D’Iberville (10-1 overall, 6-1 region) rushed for 277 yards and totaled 419 yards of offense. Colton Deshazo ran for 122 yards on six carries and a touchdown, and caught four passes for 75 yards and another touchdown. Drey Lenoir added 102 yards on 12 carries and scored twice.
Manny Duplessis had 10 tackles, two for loss, for the Warriors on defense. Aden Burney rushed for 83 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown for St. Martin, which completed its season 2-8 and 1-6.
D’Iberville will open the Class 6A playoffs next week at home against Warren Central.
Bay 39, Quitman 33
Terron Bedford caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Xander Ladner with 17 seconds to play in the game to give the Tigers a dramatic victory over the Panthers in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs Friday at Bay St. Louis.
Carmello Simpson ran for 170 yards on 32 carries and scored four touchdowns, and Noah Cutter added 122 yards on 24 runs for another score for Bay High, and he had a two-point conversion following the winning touchdown.
Bedford caught three passes for 24 yards.
Bay High (7-3 overall) travels to face Columbia next week in the second round of the playoffs. Quitman finished the season 5-5.
Morton 41, St. Stanislaus 32
The Rockachaws rallied from a 41-17 third-quarter deficit, but the Panthers were able to hang on the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs Friday at Morton.
St. Stanislaus (4-6) grabbed a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter, but Morton (7-4) got its offense going, outscoring the Rockachaws 34-3 over the second and third quarters. Robert Jennings rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries for the Panthers.
Davien La Garde led St. Stanislaus with 87 yards on 13 carries and he had a touchdown on a 90-yard blocked field goal return.
Morton will advance to the second round, playing at Raleigh.
Newton County 3, Pass Christian 0
The Cougars stopped Pass Christian on a goal line stand midway through the fourth quarter and made a second-quarter field goal stand up in the opening round of the Class 4A playoffs Friday at Decatur.
Cade Mangum’s 37-yard kick as time expired in the first half gave Newton County (5-5) the only points of the game.
Pass Christian (5-5) drove to a fourth-and-goal at the Cougar 1-yard line, but Pirate quarterback Kam White was stopped short on a keeper. White finished with 99 passing yards and 87 rushing yards for Newton County, which will play at North Pike next week.
Poplarville 42, Raymond 7
The Hornets won in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs for the eighth straight season in a dominant win over the Rangers.
Poplarville (9-2) led 21-0 at halftime and put the game away with three touchdowns in the third quarter.
The Hornets advance to a second-round clash next week at Moss Point.
George County 42, Long Beach 7
The Rebels will take plenty of momentum into the Class 5A playoffs with a victory over the Bearcats in Region 4-5A play at Long Beach.
George County (6-4 overall, 6-1 region) will open the playoffs at Lucedale next week against the third-seeded team from Region 3-5A, either Brookhaven or Laurel. Long beach finished 0-9 and 0-7.
Pearl River Central 28, West Harrison 7
The Blue Devils finished the season on a high note Thursday at Carriere, defeating the Hurricanes in the Region 4-5A season finale for both teams.
PRC finished the season 2-9 overall and 2-5 in region play. West Harrison completed its season 2-8 and 1-6.
Pascagoula 54, Hancock 46
The Panthers won a shootout over the Hawks in the Region 4-6A season finale for both teams Thursday at Kiln.
Pascagoula (4-7 overall, 3-4 region) finished the season on a three-game winning streak. Hancock (3-7, 0-7) lost its seventh straight game.
Taylorsville 40, Resurrection 14
The Tartars eased past the Eagles Thursday in the Region 4-1A regular-season finale at Taylorsville.
Resurrection finished its season 5-5 overall and 2-5 in region. Taylorsville (7-2, 6-1) hosts French Camp next week in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs.