Opening games in the 2024 Mississippi high school football season last week looked like they were going to be played in rainy conditions. But by kickoff, the weather had cleared, fans had shed their rain parkas and umbrellas and playing conditions were ideal.
For a few teams, however, the rain was a harbinger of things to come as they finished 48 minutes of play on the losing side of the scoreboard.
The biggest upset of the week was posted by the St. Martin Yellow Jackets, who used lessons learned from a winless 2023 season to topple the Vancleave Bulldogs 24-14, snapping a 17-game losing streak.
Another school to register an upset was Long Beach, which defeated rival Pass Christian 28-21.
The Bearcats won only two games last year while the Pirates had nine victories.
Schools to pick up where they left off last season were Pascagoula (48-0 over arch-rival Moss Point), George County (33-7 over East Central), Gulfport (41-6 over Greenville Christian), Bay St. Louis (34-3 over Resurrection Catholic), D’Iberville (51-15 over Columbia) and Greene County (42-12 over West Harrison).
Wick’s Picks found picking winners difficult as expected after many years away from covering and forecasting high school football games. The 4-3 opening week record, however, was satisfying, nonetheless.
The picker almost got one score right on the nose, forecasting George County to beat East Central 34-7 when the actual score was 33-7.
Here goes Wick’s Picks for Week 2.
Gulfport at Vancleave: The Admirals weren’t tested in their opener. Second-year coach Blake Pennock has his troops looking to make the playoffs a common occurrence as he did in three seasons at Ocean Springs, where he had a 32-5 record with back-to-back region championships and an appearance in the South State title game. Vancleave was upset by St. Martin in its opener and doesn’t want to be 0-2. Gulfport 24, Vancleave 7.
East Central at Pascagoula: East Central attempted only two passes in a 33-7 thrashing by George County last week and one of them was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. The Hornets are a throwback to the days of Woody Hayes with their ground-and-pound running game. In the loss to the Rebels, the Hornets amassed more than 300 yards rushing with Tay Guyton gaining 193 yards on 33 carries and Cale Hollinghead adding 102 on 11 attempts. Pascagoula will present a similar attack as George County with the ability to pass and run. Quarterback Silas Corder continued his record-breaking performances with three TD passes and one on the ground as he overtook Panthers great Shane Matthews’ record for career passing yards. In the trenches, the Panthers have a stable of running backs to carry the pigskin. The Panthers defense completely shut down Moss Point, not allowing the Tigers a sniff of momentum. Can the Panthers post two shutouts in a row? Pascagoula 38, East Central 7.
Moss Point at Hancock: Hancock lost a barnburner 58-50 to Natchez in its opener while Moss Point was shut out by Pascagoula. First-year Moss Point coach Julius Bridges has experienced starters returning along with a bunch of seniors. Tigers fans are hoping the loss to the Panthers was an aberration. Hancock is hot on offense, and this is a road game for Moss Point. Hancock 34, Moss Point 24.
Stone High at Poplarville: This one is a tossup. Poplarville edged Jefferson Davis 17-16 and Stone took it on the chin in a 15-0 victory by Biloxi. Home-field advantage is a big thing in sports, particularly high school football. Poplarville 20, Stone County 13.
Gautier at D’Iberville: Gautier squeaked by Harrison Central 26-23 last week while D’Iberville put a 51-15 whipping on pounded Columbia. Gautier got a taste of the playoffs last year and the Gators want to keep the momentum going. Gautier 20, D’Iberville 16.
Bay High at St. Stanislaus: A battle of neighbors that gives the winner bragging rights on the Bay of St. Louis. Stanislaus took it on the chin in its opener from Forrest County AHS, losing 34-10. Bay High, meanwhile, overpowered Resurrection Catholic School 34-3. Look for another Bay win. Bay High 28, Stanislaus 13.
Greene County at George County: Two teams with lopsided victories in their openers. Greene County took the wind out of the West Harrison Hurricanes 42-12 while the Rebels almost shut out East Central. Historically, George County has gotten the best of its rivals. Look for it to happen once again. George County 42, Greene County 27.
