By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

GULFPORT — Almost 30 years ago, a successful head prep baseball coach in the “Southern Six” stepped down from his post mid-way through the season just as league play was beginning.

That team was George County, and that year in 1996 the Rebels went on to play for a state championship.

This season, the same scenario developed in Gulfport some six weeks ago. And now, as the Admirals embark on a trip into the Class 7A South State playoffs, Gulfport fans hope for a similar postseason journey that GCHS produced back then.

Gulfport hosts perennial state power Petal Friday night in game one of a possible three game opening round affair, and it will mark acting Admiral head coach Kelly Weems’ first appearance leading a team into the playoffs.

Weems took over for first-year GHS head coach Justin Edwards in mid-March, after Edwards stepped away from his post for personal issues.

All Weems did after that was lead Gulfport to the second seed in Region 4-7A and home-field advantage in the opening round of the Class 7A South State playoffs.

In fact, even after losing to region champ Ocean Springs last week in a battle for supremacy in the region race, the Admirals still finished 10-5 in league play and were one of just two teams in the loop along with OSHS that swept three of its five region series.

“This whole thing started back in July,” Weems said. Edwards arrived at GHS in July after leading Vancleave to the Class 5A state championship last season.

“By the time the season started, we already had the expectations in place. What the kids have been able to do is impressive. They continued to show up and work hard every day to give themselves a chance to win.”

Almost 30 years ago, then George County head coach Scott Bray resigned his post suddenly just after district play started. But that Rebel team, which featured current GCHS head coach Brandon Davis, recovered quickly and rallied and advanced all the way to the Class 4A state title round before falling to a powerful New Hope squad that finished a state-record best 44-0 that season.

“That is a very difficult position to be in, but coach Weems has done a great job.” Davis, who led his almat mater to the Class 6A state title last season, said. “He is a great baseball guy and will be successful wherever he is. Having been through that as a player, the team has to come together in that situation and just play baseball. It can be a distraction if you let it, but at the end of the day you still need to play the game.”

Gulfport’s first round match-up with the Panthers this week is viewed by prep pundits state-wide as one of the main opening round affairs across the state. The two programs have combined to win seven state titles and Gulfport has played for the state championship twice in the past decade.

The Panthers, like the Admirals, were right in the thick of the chase for the top seed in Region 3-7A up until the final week of the regular season when they dropped two game to arch-rival Oak Grove and settled for the third seed in the league standings

“We’re excited about the match-up,” Weems added. “Petal is a really good program with a ton of tradition and success. They have a really talented mix of speed and power. They have three or four arms that are really good. They finished with the three seed, but they were a game away from being the district champs. They’ll come out ready to play and so will we. It should be a fun series.”