By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

The prep football playoff chase in the “Southern Six” as well as across the state of Mississippi is coming to a quick conclusion with just one or two weeks left in regular season action.
In the lower four classifications of play, Class 4A-1A, only one spot is left to be decided as the regular season ends this week before South State playoff action gets underway next week.
In Class 4A, in Region 8-4A specifically, Poplarville hosts Greene County in a clash of titans Friday night. It’s pretty simple, both teams are 3-0 in league play and the winner takes the number one seed and the loser takes the second seed for playoff purposes.

Both teams will open the upcoming Class 4A South State playoffs at home next week.
Also in Region 8-4A, on Thursday night, Pass Christian hosts Bay High in a battle for seeding purposes as well. The winner will finish as the third seed in the region race while the loser will be the fourth and final seed out of the loop. Regardless, both squads will open the postseason on the road next week.

Moss Point’s season ended at 0-9 last week.

In Class 3A, St. Stanislaus will finish as the fourth seed in Region 8-3A no matter the outcome of Thursday’s home contest at Brother Phillip Stadium against league-leading West Marion after a 50-28 loss on the road to Perry Central last week
Also in Class 3A, St. Patrick is out of the postseason after finishing 0-9.
And in Class 1A, Resurrection was eliminated from any playoff contention last week with a 41-14 home loss to Sacred Heart.

In the three larger classifications of play, Class 7A-5A, 16 of the 17 squads in the “Southern Six” have two regular season games left.

In Class 7A, in Region 4-7A, the winner of the Ocean Gulfport at Ocean Springs game this week will secure the number one seed. Both teams come into this contest unbeaten at 3-0 in the league standings. The Greyhounds, who have won three straight region titles, have already secured the second seed in the region race no matter the outcome of their final two games and will host an opening round game in the upcoming Class 7A South State playoffs.
If the Admirals come up short against OSHS this week, a win over Harrison Central next week will still secure the second seed in the loop.

As for the rest of the standings, A D’Iberville win over visiting St. Martin Friday will wrap up a playoff spot for the Warriors no matter what happens against Biloxi next week. The winner of Friday’s Harrison Central at Biloxi game will in all likelihood take the remaining seed for playoff purposes in the region race.
In Class 6A, in Region 4-6A specifically, perennial power Picayune can also capture its fourth straight region title with a win over George County Friday night. A win by the Rebels would give them sole possession of the top spot in the region race for at least a week, until they return home to face Pascagoula in the regular season finale next week. Both Picayune and GCHS are 3-0 in the region race at this point.
Both teams have already secured berths in the upcoming Class 6A South State playoffs.

Elsewhere in the loop, A Pascagoula win over West Harrison Friday night would clinch a berth in the playoffs for the Panthers. Hancock is in the same situation as it takes on Long Beach Friday night. West Harrison and Long Beach are each 0-3 and sitting in the basement of the region race with the playoff hopes of each on life support.

In Region 3-6A, Pearl River Central has clinched the fourth and final spot in that loop and will hit the road to open the playoffs. The Blue Devils host perennial state power West Jones Friday night, and then have an open date to end the regular season next week before the postseason begins. PRC is back in the state playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Also, in Class 5A, specifically Region 4-5A, Gautier is in the driver’s seat at 3-0 as the Gators search for their first league crown since 2008. A win on the road over Stone Friday night would clinch the top seed in the region race for the first time in 16 years for GHS.
Stone and Vancleave each sit at 2-1, and both need just one more win in the final two regular season games to clinch a berth in the upcoming Class 5A South State playoffs.
East Central is at 0-3 and alone in the basement of the region standings as it faces missing out on a playoff spot for the second straight season for the first time in 11 years.