By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

To even imagine that a prep football team could be eliminated from playoff contention as early as the 18th of October during regular season play is almost on the verge of ridiculous, especially that it could happen to at one time what was one of the most feared and successful gridiron programs in the state.
But that’s exactly what happened to Moss Point last week. And yet another Jackson County team could join the Tigers on the sidelines almost a week before Halloween this week.
An historically dismal season continued for Moss Point as the Tigers dropped to 0-8 overall and 0-3 in Region 8-4A play with a 41-0 loss to visiting Pass Christian at Dantzler Stadium last week.

Once mighty Moss Point was eliminated from playoff contention with that latest loss, as both Bay High and Pass Christian are the only teams that could possibly finish with just one loss in the region race and both now hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over MPHS.
It marks the first time that MPHS will miss the state playoffs in back-to-back seasons in 42 years, and it’s just the second time ever since the implementation of a state-wide football playoff system in the state of Mississippi in 1981 that that has happened as well. The Tigers are also on the verge of finishing a season win-less for the first time in 72 years, since 1952.

This is the final game of the year this week for MPHS as for the sixth straight season the Tigers have an open date in the last regular season playing date on the schedule.

Also, across Jefferson Street, Resurrection is in a must-win situation this week at home in Gautier as Sacred Heart makes the drive down from Hattiesburg to Jackson County

Both the Eagles and the Crusaders are in the midst of sub-par seasons this year, as RCS enters the key Region 8-1A contest at 3-5 overall and 1-3 in league play and SHHS sits 1-2 in the region race as well after starting the season off at 5-0.
A loss to the Crusaders would eliminate the Eagles from any postseason possibilities. A loss by Sacred Heart would all but do the same thing to the Crusaders.
Resurrection has missed the Class 1A state playoffs just once in the past 10 years, and that came three years ago in 2021 before Eric Denmark took over as head coach. The Eagles, in their second season under Denmark’s direction last year, were the top seed in Region 8-1A and won a pair of playoff games advancing to the Class 1A South State semifinals.

Even a win this week doesn’t ensure RCS a state playoff berth just yet, as they close out the regular season against perennial state power Lumberton on the road on Halloween night.
However, one thing is certain, a loss to the visitors from the Hub City Friday night will leave the Eagles on the outside looking in just like Moss Point.