By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

MOSS POINT — Right around 25 years ago, the football team at Moss Point High was considered the best in the state of Mississippi.

Currently, and unfortunately, after its first win-less season in over 70 years, the Tiger program enters this season considered as one of the worst.

Moss Point went 0-9 under interim head coach Julius Bridges last season. In his lone season, the former Tiger standout baseball and football player led MPHS to its first win-less season in 72 years, and the 0-9 record is the worst overall since that 1952 squad went 0-11.

Enter Derek Jenkins, who comes to Dantzler Street from Perry Central High where he served several seasons as the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator. Jenkins, who was also DC at St. Martin for one season in 2022, becomes the fourth MPHS leader in the past four seasons, marking the first time that has ever happened in the history of that once storied program.

This is his first head coaching job.

He inherits a Tiger team that was eliminated from the state playoff chase on Oct. 18th last year, the earliest in the history of the program.

Moss Point managed to lead in a game just twice last season.

It marked the first time that MPHS missed the state playoffs in back-to-back seasons in 42 years, and it’s just the second time ever since the implementation of a state-wide football playoff system in the state of Mississippi in 1981 that that has happened as well.

On top of that, the Tigers lost versatile standout quarterback Kevon Ford and classmate running back Alex Netttles, who combined for over 2,000 yards of total offense and 18 of the 27 total touchdowns offensively last season.

“The transition going from a coordinator to a head coach has been crazy, especially at a place like Moss Point,” Jenkins said, in a recent interview. “I just got to stay on my “P’s” and “Q’s” and stay on my toes. The community, the school district and the players have really embraced me and it’s been a very smooth transition.

‘I’ve dreamed of being at Moss Point. I’ve wanted to come here for a very long time because of the tradition and things they’ve accomplished. Even during the down slide, I could see potential, I could see opportunity. Hard Work is gonna get us where we need to be.”

The Tigers will remain in Region 8-4A as Jenkins takes command, but there has been one slight change in the league as reigning Class 4A state champion Poplarville departs for Region 7-4A and Forrest County fills that open spot.

Moss Point has lost nine straight games and 14 out of its last 15 contests entering the new campaign, and is 2-16 over the past two seasons, which is the worst two year mark in seven decades as well.

The Tigers return, among others, Robert Bridges and Jayden Brown on offense as receivers after both made some key plays last season.

Up front, Cedric McCory is back in the trenches along the offensive line.

Defensively, linebacker Landon Cato returns after making 83 total tackles as well as two sacks and one fumble recovery last year. Terrence Jones is back to patrol the secondary.

Moss Point, which won five state titles in a 17-year span from 1983-2000 including four from 1991-200, opens the season hosting its oldest and longest-running rival Pascagoula, as the annual “Battle of the Cats” is set for Friday, Aug. 29th.