Lewis Sims enters the 2024 season as the winningest football coach in Pascagoula High School history.
Sims is also the longest-tenured Pascagoula football coach, now in his 14th season.
The Panthers will kick off their campaign at home with the Battle of the Cats against the longtime rival Moss Point Tigers on Aug. 30.
Pascagoula will host six of its 10 regular-season games at War Memorial Stadium. However, three of Pascagoula’s five region games will be on the road, with the Panthers set to travel to Picayune, Hancock and George County.
Sims used the word “continuity” when asked what was different about this year’s team.
Sims elaborated by saying, “This group spends a lot of time together. They come in early, they stay late. They love the game. You walk in meetings, the leaders are attentive, they ask good questions and they push each other to be better.”
Quarterback Silas Corder is back for his third season orchestrating the offense. The three-star Southern Miss commit broke the Pascagoula record for career touchdown passes last season in a five-TD game against West Harrison.
Corder, who was named to the All-State second team and All-Region MVP team in 2023, only needs 105 yards to surpass Shane Matthews as Pascagoula’s career passing yards leader.
The Panthers offense is also returning senior wide receivers Jahkobian Maye and Chris Campbell. They will help the Panthers stretch the field, along with juniors Darius Carter, D.J. Nunnery and Ladarion Pickett.
The Panthers will have more depth this season with a talented group competing for playing time at the receiver position.
In the backfield will be returning junior running back Amarie Jackson, who will also see time on the defensive side in the secondary, and sophomore Sean Norvell.
Look for the running back position to be a threat in the passing game out of the backfield.
The offensive line will be anchored by senior Chris Taylor and All-Region junior Jeremiah Moore. Senior Bryson Moye, along with juniors Thomas Ashe and Tyler Schoon and sophomores Julian Bolten and Jonathan Dease, round out the big men up front.
Three-star Louisiana Tech commit linebacker Jaylon Parnell and four-star safety Tylan Wilson will lead a defense that is loaded with returning standouts. Both Parnell and Wilson were recognized on the All-State second team and All-Region MVP team last season along with Corder.
“This team is very special. We set high standards and we’re like family to each other,” Parnell said. “We have a good chemistry and that is going to lead us to have a good year.”
Parnell is second on Pascagoula’s all-time list for tackles, needing just 33 to pass Matt Inlow.
Wilson has become one of the most highly recruited Panthers in recent years, picking up offers from Alabama, Ole Miss and a number of other Power 5 schools. Wilson will also see time on the offensive side as a receiver.
Joining Parnell and Wilson on defense are All-Region junior linebacker Jarrad Loper, the team’s leading tackler in 2023; All-Region senior utility player Wyatt Henderson; and All-Region senior lineman Sebastian Ford.
Senior linebacker Kalib Ely will likely split time on offense at tight end.
Senior Destin Franklin and junior Trey Averheart will hold down the defensive line with Ford.
In the secondary with Wilson will be senior Jamarlyn Montgomery and juniors Xavier Kennedy and Kaiden Street, along with other Panthers competing for time under the supervision of new defensive backs coach Alden Davis. Davis was a standout linebacker for the Panthers from 2014 to 2016.
In all, the Panthers have depth in key positions that should benefit them down the stretch in hopes of making a deeper playoff run come November.
