By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director
Once mighty Moss Point is in the midst of what could turn out to be an historically dismal season.
The once mighty Tigers, who won five state championships in a 17 year span from 1983-2000 and played for yet another title in 2021, dropped to 0-7 for the second time in three seasons and now Moss Point faces the possibility of its first winless season since 1952.
And, perhaps just as importantly, the Tigers haven’t missed the state playoffs in back-to-back seasons in over 40 years since the first two seasons after a statewide playoff system was implemented in Mississippi some 43 years ago in 1981.
But both will happen if the Tigers can’t come up with a win in their final two games against Pass Christian and Greene County.
Moss Point is coming off a 46-27 loss on the road to Bay High last week. Bay High came into the game on a five game losing streak and had only beaten Class 1A Resurrection prior to that win over MPHS.
It marked the fourth time this season that Moss Point allowed at least 46 points in a game, and MPHS is giving an average of almost 34 points per game this season.
On Friday night, two teams still in search of their first win in Region 8-4A play meet on Dantzler Street as the Tigers host Pass Christian. The Pirates are 0-2 in the region race including losses to Greene County and Poplarville over the past two weeks, while Moss Point just needs a win.
However, although a win in one of its final two games would prevent the Tigers from their first winless campaign in 73 years it still might take wins in both games to ensure that that state playoff streak continues. The last time the Tigers didn’t qualify for the postseason in back-to-back seasons was in 1981 and 1982.
The Tigers went 2-7 last year for one of their worst seasons in seven decades because they didn’t qualify for the postseason.
Open Dates
Moss Point has only two games left because, for the sixth straight season, the Tigers end the regular season with an open date.
In Region 8-4A, only Bay High and Poplarville don’t have an open date once the region race started. Greene County enjoyed its open date last week, while Pass Christian has one next week and MPHS the following week. Bay High played Presbyterian Christian in its off week from league play two weeks ago while Poplarville meets Tylertown this week in its week off from Region 8-4A play which has only five members.
“Super 7” in the “Southern 6”
Every Tuesday through the first week in December, we will publish our “Super 7 in the Southern 6” weekly poll involving all 24 prep football teams in our coverage area.
The weekly poll is the only one in the state that is voted on by a panel of veteran sportswriters, a few selected area coaches and other media members.
This week is the Week eight rankings for 2024.
“Super 7 in the Southern 6”
- Picayune
- Poplarville
- Gautier
- Gulfport
- Pascagoula
- George County
- Ocean Springs
(Others receiving votes: Stone, D’Iberville, Harrison Central, West Harrison, Vancleave)
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