By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

The prep football season turns 13 weeks old this week, believe it or not, and every team left standing is fighting for a Gold Ball in about four weeks in Hattiesburg.

“A Look Ahead” has been a part of the journalistic fabric of prep football across the “Southern Six” for most of the past three decades. Each week of the season, SouthMiss6 Sports takes a look at the action set to kickoff in that particular week all across this region.

The South State playoffs are in full swing across the “Southern Six” and the state as well this week.

Here are seven games in the “Southern Six’ to keep an eye on this week:

1. George County at Picayune — George County travels to Picayune for the second time in a month as these two Region 4-6A rivals square off in the state playoffs for the first time in 22 years. The Maroon Tide come into the big battle on a 26 game win streak over region foes, including a 27-20 win over the same Rebels in the last meeting. That win secured the fourth straight league crown for head coach Cody Stogner’s crew, and GCHS eventually dropped to the three seed in the region. This marks the 20 th all-time meeting on the football field between the two teams and Picayune has doubled up its advantage at 13-6 after that win earlier this year. Picayune has won five straight in this series dating back to that 2002 playoff encounter, which was a close 20-19 decision in Lucedale. The last win for the Rebels in Picayune came 25 years ago also in the state playoffs with a 38-35 win in 1999.
2. Pascagoula at Hattiesburg — This match-up marks the second straight season that the Panthers travel to D.I. Patrick Stadium in the Hub City to battle the Tigers in the Class 6A South State playoffs. Last year, Pascagoula pulled out a close one point win over the home-standing Hattiesburg 7-6 in the opening round. Hattiesburg comes into the week unbeaten at 11-0 while Pascagoula is a solid 9-2 overall. Last year, Pascagoula quarterback Silas Corder, ironically enough a Southern Miss commit, helped provide Pascagoula with its only points in that postseason win over the Tigers when he hooked up with wide-out Chris Campbell on the first possession of the game for an 80-yard touchdown toss to give PHS a lead it would never relinquish early in the game. Campbell is also back for PHS this season as the Panthers aim to claim a spot in the South State championship game for the second time in five seasons. He, along with fellow receivers Darrius Carter and D’Lass Nunnery, give PHS and Corder one of the top pass-catching crews in the state. The Tigers, meanwhile, are 11-0 for the first time since 2018. Hattiesburg finished that season at 12-1, and its season ended with a loss at home in the second round of the state playoffs.
3. Oak Grove at Ocean Springs — Ocean Springs is looking to advance to its second South State title game in three seasons as its hosts Defending Class 7A state champion and perennial state power Oak Grove Friday night. This marks the 10th all-time meeting on the football field between the two teams and the Warriors have dominated the series so far winning seven of nine games. Oak Grove beat visiting OSHS 35-21 in week two of the regular season, so this is another rematch. Oak Grove is 13-1 in the state playoffs over the past decade against squads from the “Southern Six” since winning their first state tile in 2013. However, that lone loss was in Ocean Springs at the hands of Bray Hubbard and the Greyhounds two years ago 42-25. Oak Grove also won the state title in 2020.
4. Wayne County at Gautier – Gautier is looking for its third straight trip to the Class 5A South State championship games as the Gators host Region 4-5A foe Wayne County this week. Gautier had never made it that far in the state playoffs until two years ago, and can add yet another chapter to its football history book Friday night. This is also a rematch, as GHS beat the visiting War Eagles 31-8 five weeks ago. The teams have met 14 times prior, with Gautier winning just four of those games including a 49-33 win last year in Waynesboro and that win earlier this year at home. The once mighty War Eagles started the season off at 2-5 but have suddenly put together a three game win streak and sit 5-7 overall.
5. McComb at Poplarville — Perennial Class 4A South power Poplarville has been living on the edges so far two weeks into the South State playoffs both at home and also on the road as the Hornets have registered back-to-back one-point wins. Poplarville knocked off Columbia at Walter Payton Field last week 21-20. The Hornets trailed 20-14 in the third quarter before taking the lead with a short touchdown dash from Tylan Keys. The Wildcats then missed a short 22-yard field goal with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Hornets then took over and ran out the clock. Poplarville is 10-2 overall and McComb comes in at 7-4 and on a six game win streak after starting the season off at 1-4.
6. Stone at Brookhaven — The Tomcats face off with the Panthers for the fifth time in the past 15 years but Stone is still looking for its first win on the football field all-time over Ole’ Brook. The Panthers stand at This is the first meeting between the two teams in 12 years, after they played four straight years from 2009-2012. Brookhaven comes in at an impressive 10-1 overall, with its only loss coming to Class 7A foe Northwest Rankin in late September. The Tomcats are 6-5 after a hard-fought 17-14 win over visiting Florence in the opening round of the Class 5A South State playoffs last week. Ole’ Brook thumped visiting Vancleave 42-21 last week.
7. Petal at Brandon — This battle in the Class 7A South State semifinals pits the perennial state power Bulldogs at 10-1 hosting upstart Petal at 8-4. The winner of this match-up will meet the winner of Ocean Springs-Oak Grove for the Class 7A South State championship the day after Thanksgiving.