By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

Week number three of the prep football season is upon us.

And Rock’s Locks is back for more prime prep pigskin picks.

Rock’s Locks went 10-3 last week to improve on week one just a bit. We stand 19-7 overall entering week three.

Remember, a ‘lock” in the world of sports “for entertainment purposes only” means a sure thing, a solid pick.

Rock’s Locks was a steady feature in several daily newspapers (remember those?) across South Mississippi for much of the past three decades and has been a part of the journalistic fabric of prep football across the “Southern Six” for most of that time frame as well. Each week we will attempt to provide some insight with some prep pigskin prognosticator picks and provide you readers with much material to ridicule me with I am sure.

Just like the first two weeks, there are more all “Southern Six” match-ups this week as well.

After a near miss for most of the coverage area from Hurricane Francine...In the words of WSP…“Well I can’t sleep, I’ve been up all night….”

1. D’Iberville at Picayune (Sonic Big Game of the Week) — Two teams with powerful ground games face off at Lee-Triplett Stadium Friday night in the renewal of this ongoing series as the Warriors invade Pearl River County. D’Iberville comes in unbeaten at 2-0, while perennial state power Picayune sits at an even 1-1 so far, after breaking its longest losing streak (two games) in four years last week. Even though Picayune has played in three straight South State championship games and won back-to-back Class 5A state titles in 2021 and 2022, this series has actually been pretty even over the past six years with the Maroon Tide winning three out of five games. This marks the 28th all time meeting in this series that dates back to 1982, with Picayune up 16-11 all-time. This will be the 11th game between the two teams in the past 12 years, with the Covid season of 2020 as the lone exception. We think the home-field makes a difference in this one…Picayune 27, D’Iberville 20.
2. Pascagoula at Gautier — The renewal of the “Singing River Classic sees the Panthers headed to the Swamp in search of a 3-0 start for the second straight season. Pascagoula snapped a four-game losing streak to the Gators last season with an exciting 28-27 win over Gautier at War Memorial Stadium, but the Panthers haven’t won at Vaughn-Wallace Stadium since 2019. Pascagoula leads this all-time series 13-9. Gautier continues a tough slate to start the season, which sees the Gators facing a pair of Class 7A foes and a Class 6A rival in the opening three weeks of play. Pascagoula 31, Gautier 13.
3. Biloxi at George County — In a series that dates back to 1970, the Indians and Rebels have only met 13 times total in that 54 year span but this marks the fifth match-up on the football field in the past decade between the two teams. For the second straight season, George County comes in at 2-0 and Biloxi at 1-1. George County has a slight 7-6 edge all-time in the series, but Biloxi has won four of the last five games played in the past 13 years including a shocking 34-14 win at home last season that gave GCHS its first loss of the season. We think the Rebels return that whipping Friday night...George County 35, Biloxi 14.
4. Hancock at St. Martin — The Hawks and Yellow Jackets face off for the 37th time Friday night, with Hancock coming in after winning the last two meetings over St. Martin. Interestingly enough, this will mark the 14th consecutive season that these two teams have met on the gridiron in a series that dates back to 1960 and was renewed in 2011 when the current streak started after an absence of almost a decade. Both teams stand 1-1 entering this week, but are coming off different results last week. St. Martin snapped a 17-game losing streak in the season-opener, but we think Hancock will help the Yellow Jackets start a new streak this week. Hancock 20, St. Martin 16.
5. Moss Point at St. Stanislaus — Also a pair of teams coming off different results last week face off at Brother Phillip Memorial Stadium, as the Rock-A-Chaws host the Tigers. It will mark Moss Point’s second straight trip to the other end of the Mississippi Gulf Coast after the Tigers fell to home-standing Hancock last week, and is the second of three trips overall that the Tigers will make to Hancock County this regular season. St. Stanislaus is 1-1 while MPHS sits at 0-2 on the season. This marks the 28th all-time meeting on the gridiron between these two teams in a series that dates back to 1935, as well as the 11th meeting in the past 11 years since the resumption of the series in 2013 after a 50 year hiatus. The Tigers have won three straight in this series, but we see that streak ending this week. St. Stanislaus 23, Moss Point 12.
6. Gulfport at Madison Central — Gulfport is 2-0 to start a season for the third straight season including the second straight under the guidance of head coach Blake Pennock. The Admirals will face BY FAR their toughest competition of the season this week in the Jaguars. Madison Central stands 1-1 overall as the Admirials come calling, after a tough 21-7 loss to top-ranked and perennial state power Brandon last week. Gulfport hasn’t started a season off with three straight wins since the 2009 season. This marks the second game against “Southern Six” competition in just three weeks for MCHS, after the Jags opened the season in Ocean Springs with a 27-20 win over the Greyhounds in the season-opener for both teams. This is just the fourth meeting between the Admirals and MCHS all-time, all in the past 11 years, and Gulfport has never beaten the Jaguars including a 23-21 loss at home in historic Milner Stadium last year. We see that streak continuing as well...Madison Central 28, Gulfport 27.
7. Northwest Rankin at Ocean Springs — Trying to avoid their first 0-3 start in 23 years, since going 0-11 in 2001, the Greyhounds host the Cougars Friday. It’ll mark just the second contest of the season for NWR, after opening last week with a close 35-34 win over Clinton. Even though this is just the fifth all-time meeting between these two teams on the football field, this will actually mark the third straight season the teams have faced off beginning with a 49-21 Greyhound win in the opening round of the Class 6A South State playoffs in 2022. Ocean Springs is 3-1 in the series, including a 27-24 road win over the Cougars last season. We think NWR returns the favor Friday night…Northwest Rankin 28, Ocean Springs 24.

A Six Pack to go:

Pass Christian 50, Pearl River Central 15

Long Beach 7, Bay High 6

Forrest County AHS 23, Vancleave 7

Poplarville 27, Newton County 6

Richton 16, Resurrection 8

Northeast Jones 40, St. Patrick 14