Hurricane Zeta causes big changes to the Coast football slate, cancels at least 2 games
Hurricane Zeta has forced changes to the high school football schedule in South Mississippi, canceling at least two games and postponing most other contests.
The big game between D’Iberville and Harrison Central in Lyman has been postponed, but it hasn’t yet been determined if the game will be played on Saturday or Monday.
“We’re still trying to see what the status will be on when we’ll be getting electricity,” Harrison County School District athletic director Averie Bush said. “We know we’re not playing Friday. I think within 24 hours we’ll be able to make a definite call. We’d prefer to play Saturday.”
D’Iberville (7-0, 5-0) sits in first place in Region 4-6A and Harrison Central (6-1, 4-1) is only one game behind in the standings.
The Pass Christian-St. Stanislaus regular season finale has been called off after Zeta caused significant damage in Bay St. Louis, but that game would have had no impact on the final standings in Region 8-4A. SSC (6-2, 2-1) has already clinched the No. 2 seed and will host a first-round playoff game against an opponent that has yet to be determined.
Pass Christian’s season ends with a record of 2-7.
“I hate it for the Pass kids,” SSC athletic director Stace McRaney said. “Their seniors don’t get to have that last football game. It’s anti-climactic. They don’t get to play now, but there’s nothing to be done.”
McRaney said that the St. Stanislaus football stadium suffered some damage, but the school’s baseball field took the hardest hit with the entire backstop blown over and part of the outfield fence knocked down.
Vancleave’s game at Bay High is a contest that needs to be played to determined who will get the third and final playoff bid out of Region 8-4A.
Bay High coach Jeremy Turcotte told the Sun Herald that it’s almost a certainty that the game will not be played Friday, but it’s unclear when it might take place in Bay St. Louis.
“It’s pretty obvious a tornado came through,” he said. “Our baseball facility is pretty much done. Our football field, we had some scoreboard damage.”
Turcotte also said that some small bleachers, which were used to house the band in the end zone, are now sitting upside down in the visitor’s bleachers. Another set of the small bleachers is sitting in the middle of the field.
“We have fences down everywhere,” Turcotte said. “The goal posts are tweaked a little bit, but I think they can be twisted and pulled with some equipment.”
Turcotte said that the Bay High football program’s new fieldhouse made it out fine with very little damage.
Two games that will be played at 7 p.m. on Friday night are Hattiesburg at Gautier and Picayune at Pascagoula.
The Hancock at Biloxi game was moved to 6 p.m. on Monday.
Long Beach coach Ryan Ross told the Sun Herald Thursday that his team’s game at Wayne County has been canceled as well.
As of Thursday afternoon, much of the prep football schedule remained to be determined with games likely to be played on Saturday or Monday.
High school football schedule
Pearl River Central at East Central — 7 p.m., Friday
Hattiesburg at Gautier — 7 p.m., Friday
Long Beach at Wayne County — Canceled
Picayune at Pascagoula — noon, Saturday
Hancock at Biloxi — 6 p.m., Monday
Vancleave at Bay High — 2 p.m., Saturday
D’Iberville at Harrison Central — 6 p.m., Monday
Gulfport at Ocean Springs — 6 p.m., Saturday
West Harrison at St. Martin — 6:30 p.m., Monday
Stone High at Forrest County AHS — 2 p.m., Saturday
Pass Christian at St. Stanislaus — Canceled
St. Patrick at Collins — 5 p.m., Monday
Salem at Resurrection — 6 p.m., Monday (at Pascagoula)
This story was originally published October 29, 2020 at 1:09 PM.
