Patrick’s Picks: Are Gulfport and D’Iberville the teams to beat in Region 4-6A?
Friday night marks the start of region competition in Class 5A and Class 6A with Region 4-6A featuring some of this week’s most interesting match-ups.
Gulfport (3-1) and D’Iberville (2-1) are the popular picks to win the region, but Biloxi and St. Martin have a chance to prove themselves this week.
Biloxi has the difficult task of traveling to D’Iberville as it looks to jump into the region title mix in Katlan French’s first season as head coach.
Biloxi will likely feature one of the best defenses in the region, but the Warriors have plenty of firepower on offense.
D’Iberville junior quarterback Jaden Walley is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks to come through the Coast in a while and senior running back Marquis Whitley has also proven a reliable option with the ball in his hands.
Junior linebacker Anthony Crouse leads the Biloxi defense with 45 tackles while senior Riko Carter and sophomore Elijah Sabbatini have been steady in the secondary.
My pick: D’Iberville 24, Biloxi 20.
Here’s how I see the rest of Friday night’s games playing out:
Gulfport 27, St. Martin 20: The Yellow Jackets haven’t beaten Gulfport since 2003 and the Admirals have won seven straight in the series. Last year was a surprisingly lopsided 30-7 game at Gulfport. This game features as much college-caliber talent as any game that will take place on the Coast this season. St. Martin is loaded with Division I prospects, including defensive lineman Norde White, who committed to Jackson State this week. Senior offensive lineman Brandon Cunningham is a Mississippi State commit and senior running back Ham McGee received a Southern Miss offer. At Gulfport, senior quarterback T.Q. Newsome is a Southern Miss commit and senior linebacker Derick Hall will have a chance to go pretty much anywhere he wants.
Harrison Central 24, Pascagoula 14: After stumbling in the season opener against Jefferson Davis County, Harrison Central (3-1) has won three consecutive games behind a much improved offense. Senior quarterback Dayln Anderson, a West Harrison transfer, has thrown for 580 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has four scores on the ground. Pascagoula (1-3) will rely heavily on junior running back Jacoryn Walker, who has 80 carries for 456 yards and two touchdowns.
Ocean Springs 21, Hancock 17: The Greyhounds (2-2) have won back-to-back games while Hancock (2-2) has stumbled in consecutive contests. At the moment, Ocean Springs has more going its way. Senior running back Micah Kelly has 87 carries for 550 yards and six touchdowns.
Oak Grove 28, George County 14: Oak Grove (3-1) has a potent offense led by John Rhys Plumlee, who has thrown for 876 yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. George County (1-4) has had problems scoring on offense this season.
Stone High 27, West Harrison 14: Stone High has struggled against tough competition during an 0-3 start to the season. West Harrison is 2-2, thanks to a strong defense that should keep it in most games.
Picayune 38, Wayne County 35: This should be one of the more fun games to watch Friday night. Picayune is 2-2 behind senior running back Jortin Raine, who has 89 carries for 592 yards and two touchdowns. Wayne County is 3-1 with a strong rushing attack of its own, led by Zhakerreun Wesley with 529 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Hattiesburg 38, Gautier 17: Hattiesburg (4-0) is ranked as the No. 2 team in the state by the AP and is a heavy favorite to repeat as Class 5A South State champs. Senior quarterback Jarod Conner is a dangerous weapon as both a passer (609 yards) and rusher (536). Senior quarterback Dalyn McDonald will have to have a monster game for Gautier (3-1).
Long Beach 42, Pearl River Central 35: It’s been a volatile start to the season for Long Beach (2-2) and the Bearcats will have to put more points on the board than they did last week in a 41-21 loss at Greene County. PRC will look for another huge game from junior running back Detrich Spikes, who ran 23 times for 333 yards and five touchdowns last week in a 63-49 loss to St. Stanislaus.
Greene County 31, Moss Point 21: This is another tough contest for Moss Point (1-4) before it begins region play. Moss Point has had to play from behind for much of its four-game losing streak, putting the pressure on sophomore quarterback Ruben Lee, who has thrown for 763 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. His top target is fellow sophomore Chanton Millender, who has 24 catches for 394 yards and five touchdowns.
Sumrall 35, Pass Christian 14: Sumrall senior quarterback Dannis Jackson has thrown for 527 yards and five touchdowns while running 48 times for 495 yards and five scores. Sumrall is 5-0 while Pass Christian has lost three straight to stand at 1-3.
Madison-Ridgeland Academy 35, St. Stanislaus 21: MRA (5-0) is one of the state’s best private school squads. SSC (1-3) hopes last week’s offensive explosion keeps rolling after senior running back Delvin Henry ran 19 times for 336 yards and seven touchdowns in the 63-49 win at PRC.
St. Patrick 24, Bogue Chitto 20: St. Patrick (3-1) is off to a great start behind a defense that should allow it to play with just about anyone in Region 8-2A. This will be a final tune-up before the start of region play against North Forrest.
Resurrection 27, Sacred Heart 14: Senior Terrance Spivey continues to piece together an impressive two-way season for RCS (3-1) with 429 yards rushing, six touchdowns and 26 tackles.
Sun Herald Top 5
1. East Central (3-0)
2. Gulfport (3-1)
3. D’Iberville (2-1)
4. Picayune (2-2)
5. Poplarville (4-1)
This story was originally published September 20, 2018 at 11:50 AM.