By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PEARL — George County High School is set to bid goodbye to its departing seniors Thursday night with graduation ceremonies.

The Rebel baseball team hopes that it marks the first of two straight days of celebration.

After slipping past Warren Central 3-2 in game one of the best of three Class 6A state championship series Wednesday afternoon here at Trustmark Park, George County can claim just its second state title in program history Friday afternoon with another win in game two.

The second game is set for 4 p.m., at the home of the Class AA Mississippi Braves.

This marks the fourth trip to the overall state championship round in two different classifications for the Rebels in the past decade, as they try and bring the first state crown back to Lucedale in 27 years, since 1997.

“None,” veteran George County head coach Brandon Davis, now in his 13th season at the helm of his alma mater, said when asked if he thought his squad felt any pressure heading into Friday.. “They understand their roles and know they don’t have to do it by themselves.”

A run-scoring sacrifice fly off of the bat of Jacob Eubanks in the bottom of the sixth stanza snapped a 2-2 tie and provided the game-winning run in that 3-2 decision over Warren Central Wednesday. The Vikings must now win the next two games to take home its first state title in 23 years, since 2001, and just second overall as well.

“Great team win. It’s big to get Game 1 because now we got some momentum,” Davis added. “That’s why we are here, this bunch has the most character and integrity of any team I’ve been a part of in 22 years as a coach. They balance each other so well and believe in one another and do not get upset when a teammate does well or if they are having a bad game. But we know that we have work to do because they have a really good arm going in Game two and it’s going to be another close one.”

The game was scoreless through the first three frames, as both the Rebels and Vikings left a few runners on base.

But Warren Central finally got to George County starting pitcher Preston McAdory in the top of the fourth.

Cade Fairly led the inning off with a single, and Lester Martin moved him over to second base with a sacrifice bunt. Hayes Loper followed that with an RBI-single to left field to break open the deadlock, and Trace Hood stepped up to the plate next and drove Loper home with a run-scoring single of his own.

The lead would be short-lived, however. 

Suddenly trailing 2-0, George County responded immediately with two runs of its own to tie the game back up.

Tripp Lightsey led the bottom of the fourth off with a single, and Cayler Havard followed that up with a double to left putting runners on second and third. Blane Green then smacked a two-run single to right to result in the 2-2 tie.

The Rebels did, however, have runners at second and third with one out and left both stranded.

Fortunately, George County made up for it in the bottom of the sixth with the eventual game-winning run on Eubanks’ timely plate appearance that scored courtesy runner Brodie Ceechi. Ceechi was running for Havard, who led the frame off with a single.

“We made some mistakes on the bases, but they did what they had to do to win the game,” said Warren Central head coach Randy Broome. “We’ve been here before and our guys will fight and battle.”

A third and final game, if needed, would be contested on Saturday at some point.