Rainy weather held off in Week One of the high school football season, but teams were not so lucky this past Friday. Coastal Six teams sloshed their way across the gridiron in sometimes torrential conditions.
Despite the inclement weather, there were numerous outstanding performances by players and teams. Among the players who had no problem with the wet conditions were George County quarterback Deuce Knight, Picayune running back Darrell Smith and Gulfport quarterback Dane Sullivan.
Knight completed a very impressive 12-of-18 passes for 308 yards and five touchdowns in the Rebels’ high-scoring 51-36 win over Greene County for their second win in two games.
Smith sloshed his way to 220 yards on 25 carries and a pair of scores as the Maroon Tide blanked Northshore (Slidell) 35-0 to bring their record to 1-1.
Sullivan passed for four TDs, connecting on 16-of-22 attempts as the Admirals blanked Vancleave 35-0, upping their record to 2-0.
Other teams keeping their records unblemished at 2-0 were Pascagoula, D’Iberville and Poplarville.
Teams still looking for their first victory are Moss Point, Ocean Springs, Vancleave, East Central, Resurrection, Stone County, St. Patrick and Pearl River Central.
Wick’s Picks fared better in Week Two with a 5-2 record after opening the season 4-3, bringing the percentage to 64.2 for the season. If the picker can stay in the 60 percentile, he’ll consider the first season forecasting games in over a couple of decades a success.
Here are the top local games for Week Three:
Pascagoula at Gautier: The Panthers and Gators have had an intense rivalry since they first played several years after Gautier High opened its doors in 1997. It wasn’t until 2004 the teams played because school officials felt the rivalry would be too intense. When the teams finally met, it was the Gators who had the upper hand, winning three straight under coach Donald Nelson. The Panthers’ first victory was in 2008, and they won 12 of the next 13 meetings, including 10 in a row. Goula leads the series 13-7. Look for the Panthers to increase that advantage. Pascagoula 24, Gautier 14.
Biloxi at George County: The Indians have been on both ends of shutouts, beating Stone High 15-0 in Week One and losing 26-0 to Meridian last week. George County has scored 84 points in two victories and Deuce Knight has shown that he is one of the top players in the state. Call it a Rebels victory. George County 34, Biloxi 7.
Hancock at St. Martin: In Week One, St. Martin snapped a 17-game losing streak, defeating rival Vancleave 24-14, then slipped back to the losing side with a 41-0 loss to perennial power Petal. Hancock was outscored 58-50 in its opener against Natchez, then got into the win column, defeating Moss Point 16-6 in a hard-fought game. The picker is giving the nod to Hancock if running back Alex Vincent, who is averaging 153 yards per game, has a big night. Hancock 34, St. Martin 13.
D’Iberville at Picayune: Followers of high school football on the Coast were surprised when Picayune was routed 60-34 by Brandon in Week One. The Maroon Tide are usually on the other side of scores like that. Fortunately, they got back on track in Week Two, blanking Northshore 35-0. D’Iberville has rolled to two straight wins—51-15 over Columbia and 33-12 over Gautier. It’s hard to beat Picayune at home, and the picker feels D’Iberville is up to the task. But call it Picayune 32, D’Iberville 28.
Long Beach at Bay High: Both teams enter Week Three with 1-1 records as both won their openers before losing last week. The Bearcats have struggled for years to put a competitive team on the field while Bay has made the playoffs in three of the last four years under coach Jeremey Turcotte, who said in one preseason publication that he felt his team could “shut anybody down’’ and “run the score up on anybody.’’ The picker believes he’s right this week. Bay High 24, Long Beach 7.
Pearl River Central at Pass Christian: The Pirates were upset in their season opener against Long Beach but got in the win column last week with a resounding 48-9 victory over Purvis. PRC, meanwhile, has gone winless, barely losing a 35-33 heartbreaker against South Jones. Feels like PRC will not get its first victory. Pass Christian 33, PRC 18.
Moss Point at St. Stanislaus: There was a time when this matchup would not have been scheduled as the Tigers were just too powerful for the Rock-A-Chaws. But times have changed, and the Rocks are a power in their class, making the playoffs 11 straight years and winning a state title in 2009. The Tigers, winners of five state championships, have struggled in recent years and now know how the other side feels. The Tigers have only scored one TD in two games. Look for them to put a few more points on the board but not enough to outscore the Rocks. St. Stanislaus 26, Moss Point 13.
