By SAM STAFF/Sports Writer

The two teams that have sat atop Region 4-7A recently didn’t fare very well against Class 7A competition from the Jackson area Friday night.
Home-standing Madison Central beat Gulfport 31-21 at Jaguar Stadium while visiting Northwest Rankin went into Greyhound Stadium and nipped home-standing Ocean Springs 29-28 in overtime in a pair of key Class 7A non-division contests.
In Madison, Gulfport got on the board first following an interception as Dane Sullivan found Krisjeohn Burks on a 6-yard touchdown pass with 3:18 left in the first quarter.
But Madison Central running back Glen Singleton answered with a pair of short scoring runs over the next 10 minutes of play to give the Jaguars a 14-7 lead at the 4:15 mark of the second period.
The Jags extended their lead to 21-7 as Jaiden Johnson found Florida commit Micah Jones on a 13-yard touchdown pass with 27 seconds left before halftime.

Madison Central turned the ball over on downs at the Gulfport 8-yard line on their opening drive of the second half and three plays later Gulfport’s Cooper Crosby raced into the end zone from 3-yards out to cut the Jaguar lead to 21-14 with 4:15 left in the third quarter.
Singleton’s third rushing touchdown of the game from 6 yards out gave the Jaguars a 28-14 lead with 8:56 left in the fourth quarter.
Sullivan found Stephen Stewart on a 27-yard touchdown pass with 5:23 remaining in the fourth quarter for the Admirals to cut the Madison Central lead to 28-21.
Jack Richardson connected on a 43-yard field goal to give the Jaguars a 31-21 lead with 1:16 left to seal the win.
Singleton finished the night with 22 carries for 108 yards and three touchdowns to lead Madison Central (2-1). The Jaguars had a total of 266 yards rushing.
Sullivan went 10-of-25 for 108 yards and two touchdowns to lead Gulfport (2-1).

“Those guys have been running the football the way they have for a long time and when they do, it takes its toll. Offensively, we just didn’t answer enough,” said Gulfport head coach Blake Pennock. “They’re a good football team and play sound on defense and we got conservative in the second quarter on offense and let them slip away. I’m tired of being close. We have to break through on one of these big games.” 
Meanwhile, in Ocean Springs, the Greyhounds sit at 0-3 to start a season for the first time in 23 years.
Gavin Phillipson hit De’Shawn Dillon for an 8-yard touchdown pass in the extra session and then Phillipson connected with Jay Hurt on the game-winning two-point conversion to seal the 29-28 win.
The Cougars overcame a two touchdown second half deficit in pulling out the win, trailing 14-0 early in the third quarter.
The two teams traded punts to start the game and then OSHS defender Ricky Orso recovered a Cougar fumble at the NWR 20 yard line and the Greyounds make them pay as Sharroid Whitehead hit Bryshen Smith for a 7-yd score to make it 7-0 at the 5:15 mark of the first quarter.

The teams would go to halftime with that same score, before Smith was back at it again taking the opening kickoff of the second half back 94 yards for a touchdown to put OSHS up 14-0,
The Cougars recovered a Greyhound fumble and finally got on the scoreboard with a 38-yard scoring strike from Phillipson to Mario Snell three minutes later to cut the deficit in half at 14-7.
That same combination was back at it as the fourth period opened,
as Phillipson again looked to Snell for a 38-yard touchdown pass but the point-after failed leaving the count at 14-13 Ocean Springs.
The Cougars took their first lead of the game just minutes later when they blocked a punt and returned it 42-yards on a scoop and score to make it 21-14 after a successful two point conversion.
With just over two minutes remaining in regulation, Greyhound tailback Will Smith scored on a 14-yard scamper to tie the game up and send it into overtime.