Who will claim their district in South Mississippi? Previewing the region races across the Coast
A new era in high school football in Mississippi began this season, and the changes are layered with new storylines that have taken center stage on the Coast.
A classification shakeup has produced intriguing regions, and the early-season results suggest an exciting playoff race is ahead.
Can Ocean Springs make it three district titles in a row? Who will be left out of the Coast’s loaded 6A region? Just how dangerous is St. Stanislaus in 3A?
These questions and more will be answered on the field soon. In the meantime, here’s a breakdown of how each Coast region looks at the midway point of the season.
Region 4-7A
Gulfport and Harrison Central have intriguing potential in the state’s newest top classification, but it’s Ocean Springs who holds the best set of wins on the Coast this year.
The Greyhounds are 4-1 with a road win over back-to-back state champions Picayune. Jake Bramlett’s team also notched a road win over Northwest Rankin, two games that have given his rising stars reason to believe they can go further than last year’s South State trip.
An Oct. 13 battle between Greyhound quarterback Will Berglind and Red Rebel slinger Tri Gaughf will go a long way in shaping the regional race.
As for the bottom, the battle for the final playoff spot could be a tight one. Biloxi and D’Iberville both look improved from a season ago. The Warriors have an impressive win over Pascagoula, while the Indians have been explosive on offense in spots.
Fittingly, the two meet in the final week of the regular season on Nov. 2.
Region 4-6A
There may not be a tougher region to survive anywhere in the state than the Coast’s new 6A district.
The Maroon Tide are still strong favorites to compete for a title and have endured a non-district schedule that could be stacked up against the toughest in Mississippi. Top-ranked recruit Jamonta Waller will loom large rushing off the edge in a region stacked with quarterback talent.
Hancock’s Dylan Moran and Pascagoula’s Silas Corder are emerging as two of the top quarterbacks on the Coast and are making both of their clubs serious dark horse contenders within the region.
Moran’s 16 passing touchdowns are tops among Coast quarterbacks, and his backfield mate, Zach Gullung, is leading the district with 915 rushing yards. The two have the Hawks 6-0 for the first time since 2000.
Four-star recruit Deuce Knight is back at George County and paired with Brenn Moody to create a dangerous Rebel offense that could cause fits for any defense.
To make matters harder for everyone in this district, the Hurricanes from West Harrison are a legitimate problem for every opposing coach. The Hurricanes have a deep running back room led by Jordan Stapleton and a defense that has allowed 6.3 points per game over the last three contests.
Even Jacob Massey’s Long Beach squad is showing signs of progress with two notches in the win column after the program went two full seasons without a victory. The Bearcats will have five opportunities to win a district game for the first time since 2018.
Region 4-5A
The 5A district may be the most wide open of them all. Of the six teams comprising the group, none of them has a winning record heading into region play.
That’s not to say none of the teams are good at this juncture, though, as most of the region is coming out of a very difficult non-district slate.
Three of Vancleave’s four losses have been against 6A teams or higher. Gautier has a win over D’Iberville but has had to play Gulfport, Pascagoula and 4A state title-contender Columbia.
Both Stone and East Central have traveled similar roads. The Tomcats have had the most impressive defense under first-year coach Jacob Aycock, while the Hornets have been led by 5A’s leading rusher Ben Myrick.
A healthy Gautier team has a real chance to win a district title for the first time since 2008 with a fast defense and the multi-talented Kelvin Beavers causing problems on offense.
Region 8-4A
District play has already begun here in this five-team region. One team will be left at home watching the postseason, and John Feaster hopes it’s not his Moss Point Tigers.
An already-thin roster has taken hits from injury and left the Tigers with a 1-5 record. Moss Point has scored just 67 points in six games and has a scoring defense that ranks 39th out of 40 4A schools.
On the other end of the district is Pass Christian under first-year head coach Jeff Stockstill. The Pirates are 5-1 with a district win over Greene County. Jacquez Alexander-Dedeaux is one of the top rushers in the state, and the defense has allowed just 9 points per game.
Challenging the Pirates is a Bay High team that knows how to light up the scoreboard behind a Jaylen Antoine-led ground attack. Unfortunately for the Tigers, their opponents have had little trouble doing the same.
Poplarville has won six district championships since 2014 and is aiming for another one, despite graduating a significant senior class. The Hornets and Pirates meet on Oct. 6, and the winner will be in the region’s driver seat.
Region 8-3A
The Coast has two teams at the 3A level, and they’re on two different ends of the competitive spectrum. St. Patrick is making strides improving the foundation of the program under first-year coach Oscar Glasscock, but the Irish aren’t quite there yet on the field.
As for Tim Lala’s St. Stanislaus Rock-a-Chaws, confidence is starting to run high. The Rock-a-Chaws are led by an electric talent at quarterback in Ian Gael Gonzalez Rioz and are loaded along the defensive line.
St. Stanislaus has wins over Bay High and Stone and is currently Pass Christian’s lone blemish.
Region 8-1A/Region 3-6A
Two teams are left without a Coast travel partner in their district: Pearl River Central out of 6A and Resurrection from 1A.
Pearl River Central is 0-5 against a schedule that doesn’t feature a 6A or higher school. The Blue Devils are 1-14 since the beginning of last season.
As for the Eagles, the dynamic Daniel Pickens has Resurrection once again in position to compete for a district title. The Eagles are off to a 1-0 start in the region with a 56-26 win over Salem. An Oct. 20 date with Sacred Heart will likely decide the region.
