Gulfport has a power in its path. Here’s what you need to know about Tupelo
Half of Saturday’s 7A state championship matchup could have been guessed before the season began.
Tupelo returns with crown in-hand, ready to defend its title earned during an undefeated run in 2024. It’s Gulfport who has crashed the party and sent waves through the state on its march to Starkville.
The Admirals have largely steam-rolled their competition on the south side of the state. Their final opponent, however, isn’t built like any they’ve seen up to this point.
The Golden Wave have a short hourlong drive to Davis Wade Stadium this weekend. With them arrives 27 wins in 28 games, a two-time Mr. Football winner, a boatload of SEC commits and, of course, a Gold Ball won 12 months ago.
Here’s everything you need to know about coach Ty Hardin’s Tupelo squad, and its matchup with Gulfport.
Bulldog vs Bulldog
At the center of the season’s final act is the battle between two players who will very soon be teammates on the same campus they’re about to square off on.
Tupelo’s Jaeden “JJ” Hill and the Admirals’ Cooper Crosby are the vessels through which both offenses operate. The dueling running backs are each team’s leading rushers and both three-star prospects signed to continue their careers at Mississippi State.
While Hill leads the Wave in rushing, it’s actually junior Kylan Bobo who has logged more carries, giving Gulfport two 1,500-yard backs to handle. Hill, though, is the recent winner of 7A’s Mr. Football honor for the second consecutive season.
Hill has over 4,500 career rushing yards and has been a sought after prospect from the likes of Ole Miss, Tennessee, Oregon, Auburn and many more.
What makes the backfield especially dangerous is how often Hill will line up at quarterback. This allows both Hill and Bobo to pose as simultaneous threats.
The pair have guided an offense that’s produced at least 200 yards rushing in all 14 games and 300 yards in nine. The Golden Wave have averaged 371 yards on the ground over the last five games.
Gulfport has had mixed results against run-centric opponents. Picayune rumbled for 345 yards in the Admirals’ season-opening loss. Ocean Springs’ Solomon Baggett found 270 yards through the Admirals’ defense, but his Greyhounds were discarded by double digits.
West Harrison’s high-octane rush attack was held to 127 yards against Gulfport, and its star back Jordan Stapleton had a season-low 68 yards.
Linebacker Andre Peters is the defensive quarterback responsible for Gulfport’s front seven with a Coast-leading 144 tackles. Interior lineman Lawrence Robinson will also be an important piece to the Admirals’ plan. The junior leads Gulfport with 20 tackles for loss.
Saturday talent to spare
Gulfport has produced its share of athletes that go on to compete at the highest levels of college football, Crosby among them.
But he’s the only SEC-committed player on the Admirals’ roster. Tupelo, on the other hand, has a lineup dotted with future SEC standouts.
Along with Hill, the 2026 class has two Ole Miss defensive back signees in Iverson McCoy and Braylen Williams, plus Florida-signed defensive lineman JaReylan McCoy.
Tupelo has another two players ranked inside the state’s top-15 from the 2027 class in offensive lineman Antonio Berry and linebacker Devontray Brewer.
Gulfport has faced deep rosters, though. Pascagoula has four seniors on their way to Division I football and that includes four-star Tylan Wilson. The Admirals rolled the Panthers by 40 points.
Ocean Springs has a number of athletes soon to be on the big stage, as well, and that group is led by Mississippi State offensive lineman signee Jayden Ross. Gulfport at one point had a 41-14 fourth quarter lead when it faced the Greyhounds.
How to beat Tupelo
Only one team has done it two years. That was West Point, which beat Tupelo 28-21 on Sept. 26.
The Green Wave are one of the state’s most dominant football programs, though, if not the top team. Tupelo was just one of 13 victims so far during West Point’s unblemished season.
West Point did so with sustained drives and late-game heroics. The game was knotted at 21 before the Green Wave scored the go-ahead touchdown with 11 seconds left.
Limited possessions was the driving factor in the outcome as West Point dictated pace in a game that was largely a ground fight.
The Green Wave didn’t put up bawdy numbers. Lead back Kingston Branham had just 93 yards. But they played four quarters and finished drives.
That was Oxford’s mistake in the semifinal. Knox Kiffin and the Chargers had a 20-7 lead at halftime and appeared poised to avenge their regular season loss to Tupelo.
The Golden Wave scored twice in the second half and forced two punts and a turnover inside the fourth quarter. to steal the North State title, 21-20.
Finishing possessions was a weakness through Gulfport’s first few games, but not since. Tupelo prefers to control tempo, meaning Gulfport must take advantage of its opportunities.
The final high school football game in the state will kick off at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
