Last season, the football team at D’Iberville High School missed the state playoffs for the second time in a five-year span for only the second time in school history since the implementation of a state-wide playoff system on the gridiron in 1981.
Now, as the Warriors began an excursion into even more uncharted waters, they look to bounce back into the postseason picture as the 2023 campaign begins.
D’Iberville enters its second season under the direction of former Warrior standout Josh Ladner after recording a 4-7 overall record in Region 4-6A and going 3-4 in league play. The Warriors tied Hancock at that 3-4 record for the fourth and final playoff spot in the region race, but thanks to a 31-24 loss to the Hawks in week eight of the regular season, Hancock won the head-to-head tiebreaker to claim the last postseason spot.
Coupled with missing the playoffs in 2018 also, the recent span marks the first time since one during the 1996-2001 seasons that DHS didn’t qualify for the state playoffs at least three times in that timeframe.
D’Iberville has normally been a mainstay in the South State playoffs, as in the past 20 years the Warriors have only missed the postseason three times.
This season, with the expansion to seven classes for the first time in the history of the Mississippi High School Activities Association, the Warriors will move up to the new Class 7A from Class 6A where they spent the past dozen years. D’Iberville will join the newly named Region 4-7A, and although the region is new five familiar foes are joining DHS to comprise the loop as Ocean Springs, Gulfport, Biloxi, St. Martin and Harrison Central all move up from the same region in 6A as does the Warriors to form the new league.
Ladner’s squad kicks off year two under his command on Friday, Aug. 25th, as D’Iberville hosts Columbia in a rare meeting between the two South Mississippi squads. The two teams have met just once on the gridiron, with the first game in 1968.
Here is the complete list of team schedules for Region 4-7A:
REGION 4-7A
BILOXI
Coach: Katlan French
A. 25 Stone
S. 1 at Meridian
S. 8 George County
S. 15 at Hattiesburg
S. 22 Pascagoula
S. 29 open
O. 5 at Gulfport
O. 13 St. Martin
O. 20 at Ocean Springs
O. 27 Harrison Central
N. 2 at D’Iberville
D’IBERVILLE
Coach: Josh Ladner
A. 25 Columbia
S. 1 at Gautier
S. 8 Picayune
S. 15 Pascagoula
S. 22 open
S. 29 at Wayne County
O. 6 at Ocean Springs
O. 13 Gulfport
O. 20 at Harrison Central
O. 27 at St. Martin
N. 2 Biloxi
GULFPORT
Coach: Blake Pennock
A. 25 Gautier
S. 1 Vancleave
S. 8 Madison Central
S. 15 Picayune
S. 22 at Brandon
S. 29 open
O. 6 Biloxi
O. 13 at D’Iberville
O. 20 at St. Martin
O. 27 Ocean Springs
N. 2 at Harrison Central
HARRISON CENTRAL
Coach: Tony Myers
A. 25 vs. Ridgeland (at Gulfport)
S. 1 open
S. 8 at Quitman
S. 15 at Tylertown
S. 22 Mendenhall
S. 29 Meridian
O. 6 at St. Martin
O. 13 Ocean Springs
O. 20 D’Iberville
O. 27 at Biloxi
N. 2 Gulfport
OCEAN SPRINGS
Coach: Jake Bramlett
A. 25 at Madison Central
S. 1 Scotlandville (La.)
S. 8 at Northwest Rankin
S. 15 Natchez
S. 22 at Picayune
S. 29 open
O. 6 D’Iberville
O. 13 at Harrison Central
O. 20 Biloxi
O. 27 at Gulfport
N. 2 St. Martin
ST. MARTIN
Coach: Ty Smith
A. 25 at Vancleave
S. 1 Petal
S. 8 at Hancock
S. 15 at Stone
S. 22 East Central
S. 29 open
O. 6 Harrison Central
O. 13 at Biloxi
O. 20 Gulfport
O. 27 D’Iberville
N. 2 at Ocean Springs
