With the expansion to seven classes this year for the first time in the history of the Mississippi High School Activities Association, the football team at St. Martin High School will join its fifth different classification.
And the Yellow Jackets hope another change in scenery will ultimately result in the first-ever state playoff win for the school in the history of the program.
Since the MHSAA instituted a state-wide playoff system in 1981, SMHS has played in Class AA, Class 4A, Class 5A and Class 6A and this season the Yellow Jackets move up to the new Class 7A level. But in the past 42 seasons, St. Martin has qualified for the South State playoffs just four times and have lost all four of those first-round contests.
The Yellow Jackets haven’t made the playoffs since pulling off back-to-back berths for the only time in history in 2017 and 2018. St. Martin is coming off a 3-8 overall record in Ty Smith’s first season as SMHS head coach last year, and the team went 0-7 in Region 4-6A play and finished in last place in the league standings.
Smith is back for his second season at the helm of the Yellow Jackets, as St. Martin joins the new Region 4-7A. Although the region is new, there are five familiar foes joining SMHS to comprise the loop as Ocean Springs, Gulfport, Biloxi, Harrison Central and D’Iberville all move up from the same region in 6A as does St. Martin to form the new league.
Smith’s squad kicks off year two under his command on Friday, Aug. 25th, as the Yellow Jackets head a few miles northeast down U.S. Highway 57 to face home-standing Vancleave in the renewal of a long-standing Jackson County rivalry.
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
