By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

(Editors Note: This is the first of a seven part series on how new region alignments will stack up for teams in the “Southern Six” next season)

When the new region realignments were announced for the 2025-2027 school years by the Mississippi High School Activities Association some six months ago, the state football playoffs were in full steam, the state volleyball championships trophies had just been handed out and the prep basketball regular season was just getting cranked up.

Then, as the winter sports gave way to the spring teams, baseball, softball and other athletic endeavors stole the spotlight.

So, as one school year draws to a close, all eyes in the prep sports world in the “Southern Six” begin to focus on the upcoming new session starting in August as well as the new region realignments.

Almost every one of the 24 “Southern Six” sanctioned high schools by the MHSAA were affected in some form or fashion by the bi-annual reclassification process.

Today, we’ll take a look at one of the biggest changes not only in the “Southern Six” but in the state as well.

Perhaps the biggest headline when the new league configurations were announced was that Harrison Central was allowed to stay in the Gulf Coast loop and not sent north for the first time ever which had been rumored for quite some time in the Fall.

What that decision did, was for the first-time in the short history of seven classifications in the state meant that Region 4-7A will consist of seven members in all sports for the next two years.

Region 4-7A:

Biloxi

Gulfport

Harrison Central

D’Iberville

St. Martin

Ocean Springs

West Harrison

The talk of HCHS heading “north” if you will to compete with Oak Grove, Petal and Meridian among others in Region 3-7A was based on the news that West Harrison would be moving up to compete in the largest classification state-wide for the first time ever.

Now, after just two seasons of having six members in Region 4-7A with four of those qualifying for the state playoffs seven squads will battle it out for the quartet of postseason slots.

It will also mark the first time since a state-wide prep football playoff system was implemented some 45 years ago in the state that the largest classification of competition on the Gulf Coast will consist of seven members giving all members six league games.

So as Region 4-7A play begins in August in several sports, no new members will line-up in Region 4-7A but the league will still have a new look and a new feel as both volleyball and football season starts.

In football especially, the teams will play one less non-region game in a trade-off to accommodate having a new league foe in the Hurricanes.

And while the Hurricanes have played all other six schools on the football field before in their 16 season history on the gridiron, West Harrison is a combined 2-20 overall against Biloxi, D’Iberville, Gulfport, Harrison Central, Ocean Springs and Hancock.

The Greyhounds have won both Region 4-7A regular season titles so far, and have won four straight league crowns going back to the final two years of Region 4-6A play as well.

The prep volleyball regular season starts in early August, and as far as Region 4-7A goes the prep football season kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 28th when Ocean Springs visits Meridian.

The other six squads join in the far the next day, on Friday, Aug. 29th, when Gulfport hosts perennial state power Picayune at historic Milner Stadium while Biloxi hosts Holmes County Central and D’Iberville takes on visiting Raleigh. Also, Harrison Central hits the road to face Jackson Lanier, St. Martin visits Vancleave and defending Class 4A state champion Poplarvile hosts West Harrison.