A Look Ahead: 7 games in the “Southern 6” to keep an eye on this week

It’s hard to believe Y’all…

The end of the regular season is here for the three largest classifications in prep football across the state of Mississippi, and for the four smaller classifications the regular season has come and gone and playoff time is here.

In one of the biggest pro golf tournaments each year Saturday is referred to as “Moving Day”. Friday night was certainly “Separation Night” for several squads in the “Southern Six”.

Here are 7 games to keep an eye on in the “Southern 6” this week:

1. George County at Pascagoula (Thursday night) — The Rebels head to War Memorial Stadium licking their wounds after a loss to Region 4-6A champion Picayune last week. This game if for the second seed in the loop and an opening round home game in the upcoming Class 6A South State playoffs. This marks the first meeting between these two teams in three seasons, and the overall rivalry is fairly close as the Rebels hold a 10-8 lead. In the past decade, PHS has won four out of the six contests including all three at War Memorial.
2. Biloxi at D’Iberville (THURSDAY NIGHT) — A key meeting in Region 7-4A takes place at Warrior Stadium as DHS takes on its neighbor the Indians with many state playoff implications on the line. Both these teams come in off winning important league games. This too, like the PHS-GCHS series, is close overall and Biloxi leads the rivalry 17-15 in a series that didn’t start until 1982. But this is the 15th straight season the teams have faced off in Football since the rivalry of the series in 2009, with DHS winning 8 of the past 14 games.

   

3. Gulfport at Harrison Central (THURSDAY NIGHT) — Ditto on the scenario in yet another Region 4-7A contest as the one above this, except that both of these teams enter coming of key region losses. A win by GHS locked up the second seed behind region champ Ocean Springs, but a loss throws the final three playoff spots into numerous possible tie-breaking scenarios. The Admirals have won five of the past six games in the series as well as 11 of the last 13 games.
4. Gautier at Laurel (THURSDAY NIGHT) — Just the second all-time meeting ever between these two teams on the gridiron, and first since a 41-28 Golden Tornadoes win in the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs in 2000. This one is for the top spot in Region 4-5A, as the Gators make their first-ever road trip “Between the Bricks” to R. H. Watkins Stadium. The Gators are perfect in league play and are also the only team in the loop with an overall winning record at 6-3. A win would give Gautier its first region title in 15 seasons, since 2008.
5. French Camp at Resurrection (FRIDAY NIGHT) — The Eagles won their first Region 8-1A title in eight years, since 2015, and in the process earned the right to home-field advantage in the opening round of the Class 1A South State playoffs this week. Resurrection stands 7-2 overall, coming off a league loss to Lumberton to wrap up the regular season last week. French Camp sits at 3-7 overall and earned the fourth and final seed in Region 6-1A with a win over McAdams last week. It marks just the second meeting overall all-time between these teams and the first meeting between these two schools on the football field since an RCS win in the playoffs in 2017.

   

6. Crystal Springs at St. Stanislaus (FRIDAY NIGHT) — The Rock-A-Chaws face the Tigers for the first time ever on the football field to open the Class 3A South State playoffs. St. Stanislaus finished the regular season at an impressive 8-1, while CSHS sits at 3-7 entering the postseason. St. Stanislaus captured the Region 8-3A title with an impressive 49-7 road win over West Marion last week. The win completed a 5-0 league mark for SSC in head coach Tim Lala’s first season as well as the Rock’s first league crown in seven seasons, since 2016. The Rocks finished the regular season at an impressive 8-1 overall, the most wins in a regular season since that 2016 season as well.
7. Richland at Pass Christian (FRIDAY NIGHT) — The Pirates wrapped up the second seed in region 8-4A play last week with a win over Bay High to end the regular season, and now PCHS gets to open the Class 4A South State playoffs at home in McDonald Stadium against the Rangers who finished as the third seed in Region 6-4A. Pass enters the postseason with a 7-2 overall mark, while Richland stands 6-4. Often in the first round of the state playoffs, you get match-ups that are first-time-ever meetings between two teams, and that’s exactly the case in this one as well.