By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PICAYUNE —George County travels to Picayune in a battle for supremacy in Region 4-6A Friday night.
And the renewal of this semi-annual rivalry is the “Sonic Big Game of the Week” for SouthMiss6 Sports.
The Maroon Tide come into the big battle on a 22-game region win streak, with their last league loss coming in the regular season finale in the 2020 season. Both Picayune and the visiting Rebels sit at 3-0 in the region race, and a Maroon Tide win this week will secure the fourth straight league crown for head coach Cody Stogner’s crew.

A win at Lee-Triplett Stadium by GCHS will give the Rebels the region lead for at least a week before they return home to host Pascagoula in the regular season finale next week.
The Maroon Tide stand 7-2 overall, while George County is 6-3 overall.
This marks the 19th all-time meeting on the football field between the two teams and Picayune has doubled up its advantage at 12-6 after a 34-21 win on the road in Lucedale. Picayune has won five straight in this series dating back to 2002.

The much anticipated match-up was set after both perennial state power Picayune and contender to the throne George County both flashed their explosive offensive muscles Friday last week.
In Picayune, the Maroon Tide jumped out to a quick and commanding 35-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 49-7 win over Long Beach at Lee-Triplett Stadium.
Brandon Parker accounted for two touchdowns in the winning effort for the home team. From his quarterback spot, Parker hit Allan Magee on a 9-yard touchdown toss and from his spot in the secondary Parker picked off an errant Bearcat pass and returned it for a touchdown as well.

Darrell Smith scored on a 7-yard run and B.J. Ducre added an 11-yard scoring dash while Triston Cooper had a 33-yard scoring scamper for Picayune as well.
Maroon Tide back-up running back Xavier Dennis tallied a pair of scoring runs in the second half to complete the scoring for Picayune.
Meanwhile, George County went on the road to West Harrison and handed the Hurricanes a 68-49 loss in league action.

George County senior standout signal-caller Deuce Knight, an Auburn commit, accounted for nine of the 10 touchdowns on the night for the Rebels as he threw for seven scores and ran for two more. He also ran for a two-point conversion.
Knight’s TD tosses included throws from 80, 63, 56 and 45 yards and he also had a 68-yard scramble to set up one of his scoring runs. He threw for 538 yards and ran for another 113 yards to combine for over 650 yards of total offense to go with his nine scores.

The point total marked the most ever for the Rebels in the almost 100 year history of the program.
Rebel running back Branden Gautier chipped in a 10-yard scoring run as well
Sonic Drive In has been a longtime supporter of prep student/athletes in the “Southern Six” and all across the Southeast. Make sure and stop by the Sonic Drive Inn in Picayune at 3001 Highway 11 North for all of your pre-game or post game meals.