In the October air, bright lights illuminate throughout Mississippi high school football as most region play begins and the season for each program hangs in the balance.
Friday night, two teams with offensive firepower will meet at Francis McDonald Stadium off North Street in Pass Christian, less than a mile from the beach. The Pirates (3-2) will take on the Greene County Wildcats (4-1) of Leakesville at 7.
The comparison
Greene County has an undoubtedly tougher schedule to this point, playing three 6A teams and beating all but one (a 51-36 loss to George County).
The Wildcats are averaging 44 points a game after five contests and have produced 2,456 yards of total offense for the season.
While Pass Christian has nearly 2,000 yards of total offense (1,992), the Pirates have been dominant in their wins but scored a mere touchdown in both of their losses.
Unlike Greene County, they have held most opponents to under 25 points, allowing only 22 points a game.
Historically
The Wildcats have dominated the series in 11 previous games, winning nine of them, but the Pirates’ two victories have come in the last three years, when Greene County joined Region 8-4A.
Pass Christian played Leakesville High (the school would become Greene County) in 1957 and won 7-6 as a member of the DeSoto Conference.
Forty years later, Pass Christian hosted Greene County on Sept. 19, 1997, and lost to the Wildcats 37-13 as a 3A opponent.
The players
Coby King is the quarterback for the Wildcats, throwing for nearly 1,500 yards (1,458) and 19 touchdowns with only one interception. Additionally, King has used his legs to be the team’s leading rusher with 385 yards and eight scores.
While King has five players with more than 100 yards receiving and multiple touchdowns, his key figure is Jase Mathews with 32 receptions for 561 yards. Mathews has six receiving touchdowns and one rushing.
Greene County running back Lakeus Franks has 568 total yards and nine touchdowns —five receiving and four rushing.
Pass Christian sophomore quarterback Paris Trivillion has thrown for 1,096 yards and 11 touchdowns, but routinely runs and has accounted for 292 yards rushing with three touchdowns.
Pirates running back Jacquez Alexander-Dedeaux, an All-Region selection last year, remains a dominant force, playing both ways. Alexander-Dedeaux has 457 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns, and as a linebacker, he has contributed 38 tackles.
Even though Pass Christian has four players with 100-plus yards receiving, Matthew Daniely has brought in 23 receptions for 538 yards and six touchdowns.
The game
Since Region 8-4A only has five teams, every game is important and has a chance for playoff implications. The Friday night lights look to be bright at McDonald Stadium.
