Two Southern Six high school football teams managed to reach their goal of playing for a state championship after claiming South State crowns last week.
Gautier and Poplarville earned victories and will compete for state championships in their classes this weekend at M.M. Roberts Stadium on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, where seven title games will be played Thursday through Saturday.
Ocean Springs and Picayune, meanwhile, came up just short of reaching the coveted state championships.
Class 5A
Gautier’s magical season continues after the Gators claimed their first South State championship last week, defeating Brookhaven 37-35 in a thriller.
The Panthers missed consecutive field-goal attempts with one second left in the game and no time on the clock.
Gautier (12-1) advanced to its first state championship game, where the Gators will meet perennial power West Point (10-3) on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
West Point beat Cleveland Central 14-7 to win the North State crown.
This will be the first meeting between Gautier and West Point in football.
Class 4A
Poplarville earned another shot at winning its first state football championship, beating Forest 24-21 for the 4A South State title last week.
The Hornets (12-2) will meet Louisville for the 4A state championship on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The two-time defending state champion Wildcats (13-1) rolled over West Lauderdale 40-6 to claim the North State title.
Poplarville, playing in its fifth state championship game in the last nine seasons, will be facing a familiar foe in its quest. The Hornets have met Louisville twice before, in 2018 and 2020, coming up short in both games.
Class 7A
Ocean Springs is still seeking its first state football championship after the Greyhounds (8-5) fell to Brandon 31-13 in the 7A South State title game last week.
The Bulldogs (12-1) got a pair of touchdowns from sophomore running back Tyson Robinson, who rushed for more than 160 yards, and quarterback Sladen Shack tossed a couple of TDs.
It was a disappointing loss, but the Greyhounds overcame an 0-4 start to the season by winning eight straight and claiming a region championship.
Brandon turns its attention to Tupelo in the 7A state title game set for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The unbeaten Golden Wave (13-0) defeated Madison Central 21-3 to win the North State championship.
Class 6A
Picayune’s quest for a third state championship in the last four years was thwarted by a powerful Hattiesburg squad in last week’s 6A South State championship game.
The Tigers (13-0) held off a Maroon Tide fourth-quarter rally to escape Picayune with a 39-35 win and move on to the 6A state title game.
The Maroon Tide (11-3), playing in their fourth consecutive South State championship game, couldn’t quite contain Hattiesburg quarterback Deuce Vance, who tossed three touchdowns passes and caught another.
Hattiesburg, seeking its first state football title in 100 years, will face Grenada for the first time on the gridiron Saturday at 7 p.m. The Chargers (14-1) defeated Warren Central 21-13 to take the North State championship.
