By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PASCAGOULA — The Pascagoula boys basketball team is coming off of two of their biggest wins of the season in a six day span.

Now, the question is, can the Panthers carry that emotion over to this week for a pair of key Region 4-6A games when a Class 6A South State playoff berth is on the line.

Pascagoula hosts Hancock Monday night in its first league game in 10 days due to inclement weather, and a win over the Hawks in the resumption of the region race will secure a top two seed in the upcoming Region 4-6A Tournament which is set for Hancock High next week.

The top two seeds in the regular season standings automatically earn opening round byes in the tourney and with it the subsequent state playoff berth.

“I’m not worried at all,” PHS head coach Lorenzo Wright said Monday morning. “They know what’s on the line, a playoff berth. Plus, the region championship is still up for grabs also with West Harrison just a game behind us.”

The Panthers are coming off of a huge win in Clinton at A.E Wood Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi College a week ago as the Panthers slipped past powerful Class 7A foe Germantown 74-69 in game five of the prestigious “Rumble in the South”.

Germantown is considered one of the top Class 7A teams in the state and one of the favorites to battle for the state championship again this season after falling in the title tilt to Meridian last year.

Then, on Saturday, Pascagoula thumped “Southern Six’ rival Gulfport 76-53 in the final game of “HoopsFest at Harrison Central High which marked the first meeting of those two teams in over two years.

Pascagoula, the defending Region 4-6A champs, sits 18-3 on the season and has won 19 straight league games.

Heading into the final week of regular season this week all Region 4-6A teams have played seven games after having at least one league game postponed from last week.

Pascagoula sits a game ahead of West Harrison at 7-0 while the Hurricanes at 6-1 with Hancock at 4-3 and the Hawks still have an outside chance at one of those two top seeds in the region tourney as well.

After facing Hancock Monday night, Pascagoula hosts Picayune on Tuesday night in league play and then closes out the regular season and region schedule at West Harrison Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers are also slated to make a trip across Jefferson Street to face arch-rival Moss Point Friday night as well.