Wick’s Picks took it on the chin in Week Three of the high school football season, as did four previously undefeated teams.
The picker only selected three of four games correctly. Finding the loss column for the first time were Pascagoula, D’Iberville, Gulfport, and George County.
The picker’s record for the season is 12-9 for 57.1 percent. Not too good, but still above 50 percent.
The only team to register its first victory of the season last week was Vancleave, which toppled Forrest County 17-14. The Poplarville Hornets remain undefeated in close games with their biggest margin of victory being six points.
Still searching for their first win are Moss Point, Ocean Springs, East Central, Resurrection, Pearl River Central and St. Patrick.
Here are the picks for Week Four:
Pascagoula (2-1) at D’Iberville (2-1): The Panthers and Warriors both felt the sting of defeat Friday as they lost their first games. Goula played comeback all night against Gautier and managed to tie its archrival 31-31 with just under two minutes left to play. That was all the time the Gators needed to pull out the win in the final seconds. The Warriors defeated the Gators 33-12 the week before, then stumbled against Picayune. A hard game to pick. D’Iberville 28, Pascagoula 24.
PRC (0-3) at Poplarville (3-0): This game looks like it should be a walk-over by Poplarville, but the Hornets’ three wins have been by a total of 10 points. PRC, on the other hand, needs to get a win under its belt for some confidence before entering region play. Got to go with the Hornets to keep the Blue Devils winless. Poplarville 35, PRC 13.
Hattiesburg (3-0) at Biloxi (2-1): The Tigers’ unbeaten record comes in three different types of performances. They struggled to beat Petal 7-3, routed Laurel 46-7 and squeaked by Oak Grove 27-21. The Indians last week took advantage of an injury-riddled George County team to post a 30-13 upset of the Rebels, who lost starting quarterback Deuce Knight and backup Brenn Moody to injuries. Hattiesburg will keep the win streak going. Hattiesburg 34, Biloxi 20.
Vancleave (1-2) at George County (2-1): Word from Lucedale is that Knight, the Notre Dame commit, is a game-time decision because of a hamstring injury that knocked him out of the loss to Biloxi. He will dress out, but most likely will wait for the region schedule to hit the gridiron again. Moody, with a concussion, is not expected to play, according to sources. Up next under center probably will be Cole Bradley, who plays defensive back. The Bulldogs opened with two defeats, including a 35-0 loss to Gulfport, then edged Forrest County 17-14 for their first win. Can Vancleave pull an upset against the injury-riddled Rebels? No, but it should be close. George County 20, Vancleave 14.
Stone High (0-2) at St. Martin (2-1): The Yellow Jackets got their second victory of the season on Friday night with a 22-21 overtime decision against Hancock. The Jackets defense stuffed a two-point conversion attempt to secure the win. A victory like that will give the Jackets momentum moving forward and help them put a winless 2023 season and 0-17 losing streak in their rear-view mirror. The Tomcats had an open date last week and will be playing their third of four straight road games. Both Tomcats losses were by close scores. It should be close again, but St. Martin gets the nod. St. Martin 18, Stone High 16.
St. Stanislaus (2-1) at Pass Christian (2-1): The Pirates scored more than 40 points in each of their two victories after losing by a TD to Long Beach in their opener. The Rock-A-Chaws stumbled in their season opener against Forrest County, then bounced back with solid wins over Bay High and Moss Point. Going with the Rocks. St. Stanislaus 27, Pass Christian 21.
Gautier (2-1) at Moss Point (0-3): On paper, this should be an easy victory for the Gators against the winless Tigers. But as in the wild, do not underestimate an injured Tiger, and the Blue and White are licking their wounds, having only scored three TDs thus far. Gautier must be on a big high after defeating cross-river rival Pascagoula 38-31, scoring the winning touchdown in the final seconds. Gators signal caller Trey Irving had a sensational game, leading Gautier over the Panthers, passing for 200 yards on 23 of 34 attempts and rushing for two scores. Kasin Thomas led the Gators in rushing with 13 carries for 122 yards and a scintillating 72-yard touchdown run. The Gators should keep the Tigers at bay. Gautier 28, Moss Point 13.
Gulfport (2-1) at Picayune (2-1): This is what the picker calls a “pick-em’’ game. Picayune has been solid since getting a 60-34 spanking by Brandon in its season opener. The next two games were comfortable wins for the Maroon Tide. Gulfport, meanwhile, scored 76 points and gave up six in its first two games, then stumbled 31-21 to Madison Central. Going with the home team. Picayune 33, Gulfport 31.
Bay High (1-2) at West Harrison (2-1): The Hurricanes have scored 83 points in their last two games and allowed 30. The Tigers, meanwhile, have dropped two in a row—one a shutout and the other by one point to Long Beach. Edge goes to the home team. West Harrison 42, Bay 16.
