The expansion by the Missississippi Activities Association to a seventh classification for the first time ever this year seemingly can only help the football team at Long Beach High School.
After all, it certainly can’t hurt.
The Bearcats are struggling through one of the toughest stretches in their almost 90-year history on the gridiron, as LBHS has lost 26 games actually played on the field in the past three seasons as well as three forfeits suffered during the 2020 Covid year. In all, Long Beach has lost 40 out of its past 43 football games played on the football field dating back to the 2018 season.
The streak has stretched over four different head coaches since Forrest Williams left after the 2017 campaign. In the past decade, the Bearcats have gone through winless seasons of 0-11, 0-10, and 0-9 under three different head coaches as well as another season at 1-10 under a fourth head coach.
Jacob Massey enters his second season at the helm of the Bearcats, coming off of that aforementioned 0-11 campaign last season. Long Beach moved up from Class 5A to Class 6 this season with the expansion and will play in a revamped Region 4-6A that also entails Pearl River Central, West Harrison, and two-time defending state champion Picayune that each moved up from Class 5A as well. The league is rounded out by Hancock and Pascagoula, both of which remained in Class 6A.
Massey’s second season begins on Friday, Aug. 25th when the Bearcats head a few miles west down U.S. Highway 90 to renew a neighboring rivalry with homestanding Pass Christian.
Long Beach hasn’t made the state playoffs since 2011, 12 years ago, which ended a span of the Bearcats qualifying for the postseason in six of seven seasons from 2005-2011.
Here is the complete list of team schedules for Region 4-6A
REGION 4-6A
GEORGE COUNTY
Coach: James Ray
A. 25 East Central
S. 1 at Greene County
S. 8 at Biloxi
S. 15 at Vancleave
S. 22 Wayne County
S. 29 Hattiesburg
O. 6 Long Beach
O. 13 at Hancock
O. 20 West Harrison
O. 27 Picayune
N. 2 at Pascagoula
HANCOCK
Coach: Neil Lollar
A. 25 at Natchez
S. 1 at Moss Point
S. 8 St. Martin
S. 15 at Petal
S. 22 at Vancleave
S. 29 Florence
O. 6 at West Harrison
O. 13 George County
O. 20 at Pascagoula
O. 27 Long Beach
N. 2 at Picayune
LONG BEACH
Coach: Jacob Massey
A. 25 at Pass Christian
S. 1 Forrest Co. AHS
S. 8 Bay High
S. 15 at Purvis
S. 22 at Petal
S. 29 South Jones
O. 6 at George County
O. 13 Pascagoula
O. 20 Picayune
O. 27 at Hancock
N. 2 West Harrison
PASCAGOULA
Coach: Lewis Sims
A. 25 at Moss Point
S. 1 at East Central
S. 8 Gautier
S. 15 at D’Iberville
S. 22 at Biloxi
S. 29 open
O. 6 Picayune
O. 13 at Long Beach
O. 20 Hancock
O. 27 at West Harrison
N. 2 George County
PICAYUNE
Coach: Cody Stogner
A. 25 at Brandon
S. 1 Catholic (La.)
S. 8 at D’Iberville
S. 15 at Gulfport
S. 22 Ocean Springs
S. 29 open
O. 6 at Pascagoula
O. 13 West Harrison
O. 20 at Long Beach
O. 27 at George County
N. 2 Hancock
WEST HARRISON
Coach: Quincy Patrick
A. 25 Greene County
S. 1 Sumrall
S. 8 at East Marion
S. 15 at Bay High
S. 22 Moss Point
S. 29 open
O. 6 Hancock
O. 13 at Picayune
O. 20 at George County
O. 27 Pascagoula
N. 2 at Long Beach
