By SAM STAFF/Sports Writer

No, there was no realignment in Region 4-6 this year.
But one could have easily thought so upon looking at Petal’s schedule.
The Panthers will play a trio of Region 4-6 foes this season, after recently adding perennial state power Picayune. Not only that, four of the Panthers’ pre-region contests are against squads from the “Southern Six”.
It’ll mark the first time in 14 years, since the 2010 season, that Petal has played as many as four teams from the “Southern Six” in the regular season. That came in 2010, when the Panthers were members of Region 4-6A for the fourth and final season along with seven “Southern Six” squads in Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascagoula, George County, Ocean Springs, Harrison Central and Hancock.

Currently, Petal is a member of Region 3-7A. It’s a bit of a rarity, that a team from outside the “Southern Six” and with no region foes located in the “Southern Six” footprint will face that many opponents on a regular season basis. In fact, by comparison, St. Patrick plays only two fellow “Southern Six” foes this season and that comes after adding Resurrection to the 2024 slate. The Eagles also play only a pair of “Southern Six” squads, opening the season against Bay high for the second straight season.
St. Patrick’s other opponent from the “Southern Six” is arch-rival St. Stanislaus, as both teams are members of Region 8-3A.

Last season, Petal beat Long Beach and St. Martin and lost to Hancock. This season, the Panthers host the Yellow Jackets in week two on Friday, Sept. 6th and then after Columbia comes to visit Petal travels to the Gulf Coast in back-to-back weeks heading to Hancock in week four on Friday, Sept. 20 and Long Beach in week five on Friday, Sept. 27th.
The Maroon Tide then travels to Petal for the first time in 11 years, since 2013, to open the month of October on Friday, Oct. 6th, to close out the non-region part of the schedule for both squads. The last time Picayune played in Petal, the Maroon Tide went on to win the Class 5A state championship.

This marks the first time that Picayune and Petal have faced off on the football field in a decade, and that game in 2014 ended a four year streak where the teams met each season. The Maroon Tide won three out of the four contests.

Also, veteran head coach Marcus Boyles returns to lead Petal this season after spending last year at Meridian.