By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

(Editors Note: This is the third 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 a league that will see some pretty significant changes moving forward into next season. A region that has sent football, basketball and softball teams on to state championship match-ups over the past several years as well as a baseball team that has been right on the verge of playing for a crown recently also.

One of the notable items when the new league configurations were announced was that George County would be sent back “north” to compete in Region 3-6A once again.

That meant that Pearl River Central would be enjoying old home week as the Blue Devils will replace the Rebels in the loop.

Also, however, Gautier is moving up a classification and into Class 6A for the first time ever. In addition, Region 4-6A is losing West Harrison which is moving up to Class 7A for the first time ever as well.

Region 4-6A:

Gautier

Hancock

Long Beach

Pascagoula

Pearl River Central

Picayune

So for the next two seasons, football will consist of perennial state power Picayune, who won back-to-back Class 5A state titles in 2022 and 2023, as well as Gautier who played for the Class 5A state crown last season. Pascagoula played for the state title in 2012, as did Picayune in 2011, 2013 and 2019 winning crowns in both 2011 and 2013 as well.

In boys basketball, Pascagoula qualified for the overall Class 6A Final Four at The Big House in Jackson for the past two years and Picayune played for the Class 5A state championship in 2022.

In girl’s basketball, Hancock qualified for the overall Class 6A Final Four at The Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson two years ago and came up just a win short of repeating that accomplishment last season.

In baseball, PRC has finished as the Class 6A South State runner-up (behind George County) each of the past two seasons. The Blue Devils won the Class 5A state title in 2017, while Pascagoula did the same thing in 2012. The Panthers also played for another state title in 2021.

In softball, Hancock played for the Class 6A state title two years ago before falling in the Class 6A South State championship round this season (also to George County).