Prep Hoops: Moss Point boys thump Poplarville 56-17 during Wednesday matinee in Region 8-4A play

By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

Poplarville’s Donovan Wheat moves the ball down court as Moss Point’s Quey’Sen Taylor follows Tuesday. (Photo by Kerry Bass)

MOSS POINT — Moss Point’s first Region 8-4A game in 2024 turned out much better than their last one in 2023 did.
The home-standing Tigers thumped Poplarville 56-17 in the first game since the calendar flipped to the new year Wednesday afternoon in a matinee match-up at the Arthur Haynes Gym on the Moss Point Campus.
The win moves head coach Daryl Osby’s MPHS team to 11-9 overall and perhaps just as importantly 1-1 in league play. The Tigers dropped their opening region contest of the current campaign to Greene County 66-46 three weeks ago.

“We’re just trying to create momentum as we get deep into district play and continue to work hard and improve,” Osby said Wednesday afternoon.
Poplarville is having a pretty rough season, as the Hornets fell to 0-17 overall and 0-2 in league play.

Moss Point’s defends as Poplarville’s Jason Smith goes up for a shot Tuesday. (Photo by Kerry Bass)

Poplarville’s Jason Smith leaps for a shot as Moss Point defender Quey’sean Taylor attempts a block Tuesday. (Photo by Kerry Bass)

Moss Point’s Kevon Ford defends a shot Tuesday. (Photo by Kerry Bass)

Moss Point scored as many points in the first quarter as the Hornets did the entire game, taking a 17-7 lead after the opening period.
The Tigers then took complete control in the second stanza, registering 26 points as Kevon Ford scored six points and both Jujuan Nettles and Treylynn Anderson added five points apiece in the frame. The Tigers took a commanding 43-13 advantage into halftime and never looked back.
Quey’Sean Taylor led Moss Point with 12 points, eight of those coming in the first quarter to help MPHS off to its fast Both Ford and Nettles added nine points apiece to the winning effort, and none of the trio saw much action in the second half.
No one scored more than four points for Poplarville.

Poplarville’s Landon Wells puts up a shot Tuesday. (Photo by Kerry Bass)

Moss Point’s Alejandro Montalvo stretches out for the ball Tuesday. (Photo by Kerry Bass)

Moss Point’s Quey’sean Taylor heads hard to the hoop Tuesday. (Photo by Kerry Bass)

Moss Point will be back in action quickly against much larger competition, as both the Tigers and Lady Tigers step outside of region play and travel to west Jackson County Friday night or a pair of games against home-standing Class 7A St. Martin.
The next league play for both Moss Point teams comes Tuesday as they stay on the road and head down U.S. Highway 90 to Harrison County to face Pass Christian.
Coming into Wednesday’s game, the Tigers were coming off a split of a pair of games in the Jackson Public Schools Christmas Tournament last week at Jackson Lanier High School. Moss Point dropped a 68-49 decision to Class 7A power Warren Central to wrap up play on Thursday, but MPHS began the event with a 41-35 win over Jackson Wingfield the day after Christmas.