By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

VANCLEAVE — The third time was indeed the charm for East Central Monday night.

After dropping a pair of matches to longtime arch-rival Vancleave in Region 4-5A play during the regular season, the Lady Hornets squeezed by the Lady Bulldogs in the rubber match 3-1 in an all “Southern Six” match-up for the Class 5A South State championship.

And what made the win even sweeter for ECHS is that it came on Vancleave’s home court.

With the decision, East Central moves on to play for the Class 5A state championship at Noon Friday against Lafayette at A.E. Wood Coliseum in Clinton on the campus of Mississippi College.

Elsewhere in Jackson County Monday night, in Class 1A, Resurrection fell to visiting Stringer 3-1 in the Class 1A South State finals.

And, in yet another all “Southern Six” affair, the third time wasn’t the charm for George County Monday night.

In fact, it was just more of the same for home-standing Hancock.

The Lady Hawks knocked off the Lady Rebels for the third time this season, sweeping past the visitors 3-0 in the Class 6A South State championship match. Hancock also beat George County twice during Region 6-4A action during the regular season, also winning 3-0 at home and 3-1 in Lucedale.

The Lady Hawks now move on to face Lake Cormorant Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m.,at A.E. Wood Coliseum also in Clinton with the Class 6A state championship on the line.

Also in Hancock County Monday night, Our Lady Academy maintained a course on a journey that it’s very familiar with as the home-standing Crescents punched their ticket back to the title round once again with a 3-0 sweep of visiting West Marion in the Class 3A South State championship match. The back-to-back two time defending Class 3A state champions will now face North State champ Belmont Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m.,also in Clinton with its third straight state championship trophy on the line.

Meanwhile, there were two other “Southern Six” squads in action Monday night as well.

In Class 4A, Poplarville dropped a 3-2 match to visiting Purvis in the Class 4A South State championship match.

In Class 7A, Ocean Springs swept visiting Brandon 3-0 in the Class 7A South State finals to advance to the state finals against Lewisburg Thursday night at 6 p.m., also in Clinton.