Week 7’s biggest stories: Favorites and challengers shook things up across Coast
Week seven around South Mississippi looked to be the biggest of the year, and it delivered, with big results bringing big changes.
This week’s biggest stories come from the top of three different regions around the Coast, where favorites further cemented themselves and Region 4-7A continued to shift at the top.
Here’s the breakdown of how the week impacted the landscaped and set the stage for the final weeks ahead.
R4-7A changes hands again
The Coast’s highest region will be in the sole possession of a new team for the second straight week. D’Iberville’s first hold on the district since 2020 proved to be a short one after Ocean Springs delivered the Warriors’ their first loss of the season, 42-21.
The Greyhounds’ 42 points were the most D’Iberville has allowed in a regular season game since Harrison Central scored 46 on Oct. 20, 2023. It was enough to drop the Warriors from first to third and seat a new claimant atop the region: Gulfport.
The Admirals are 2-0 after drubbing St. Martin 40-0 and are alone at the top for the first time since running the district table in 2019. The good news for D’Iberville is it remains in control of its own destiny.
The next major battle from R4 will come on Halloween night when Gulfport comes to town on the penultimate week of the regular season. No surprise losses and a win that night will return D’Iberville to first place. But a Gulfport win would cement its first region championship in six years.
Two 4A droughts getting closer to an end
One a lot longer than the other and on two separate ends of the R8-4A spectrum. Pass Christian just upped its odds of finally winning the program’s first district championship after a 36-8 win over Forrest Co. AHS. It now only has to beat Moss Point at home next week to seal the deal. If the Tigers pull the upset, a victory over winless Bay High will do the trick.
Speaking of Moss Point, Derrick Jenkins has his Tigers next in line at the postseason ticket booth after a one-point win over Bay High. Even if Moss Point were to lose its final two district games, The Bay would have to find two wins among Greene County, Forrest Co. AHS and Pass Christian to extend Moss Point’s two-year playoff drought.
If two years doesn’t seem like a long time to you, it certainly is to the program. The last time it happened was 1981-82, which were the first two seasons the playoff system even existed.
Maroon Tide survive
Picayune and Pascagoula combined for 69 first half points Friday, setting the stage for what would surely be an equally enthralling second half. But neither team would reach the end zone in the second half and the fans at The War were treated to five total points over the last two quarters of Picayune’s 38-36 win.
Pascagoula had three different leads in the first half, but a blocked extra point had Picayune in front 35-34 by the time the 82-minute first half came to an end. Neither team would score in the third and Edgar Cruz pushed the Tide’s lead to 38-34 with a fourth quarter field goal.
Picayune took a safety inside the final minute and Pascagoula had a chance to win when it lined up for a 42-yard field goal try. But that fell short and the Maroon Tide escaped with a 1-0 record in R4-6A. Pascagoula represents the deepest team Picayune will see the rest of the way, putting Cody Stogner’s team on track for a fifth consecutive region title.
While Pascagoula drops to a shocking 1-5, its performance Friday is a good sign the Panthers will remain a challenger for a home playoff game.
