By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

ST. MARTIN — For the first time in 13 years, St. Martin will play a schedule on the football field that consists of nothing but “Southern Six” squads.

The Yellow Jackets won’t have to travel outside the six southernmost counties in the state on a road trip. St. Martin is just one of three teams this year inside that “Southern Six” footprint that won’t travel outside of that range for a regular season game nor host an opponent from outside it this year as well. Pascagoula and St. Martin are the other two teams.

And, new head coach Woody Cagnolatti’s first team will also face a new schedule in his first season at the helm, as SMHS goes from a six team Region 4-7A the past two seasons to a seven team league this coming season with the addition of new loop foe West Harrison.

In fact, St. Martin will host those Hurricanes in their first-ever region game as a member of the largest classification in the state as the two open Region 4-7A play against one another on Sept. 26th.

However, before that, the Yellow Jackets do get return match-ups with all three foes they defeated last season in non-region action meeting Vancleave, Hancock and East Central in the weeks leading up to the league opener vs. WHHS. St. Martin also meets Stone in non-region play.

St. Martin swapped Petal for that extra region game this year to achieve that all “Southern Six” slate.

The last time that happened for SMHS was the 2012 season. That year, in addition to competing in an eight team Region 4-6A that also included Ocean Springs, Biloxi, Gulfport, Harrison Central, Hancock, D’Iberville and George County, the Yellow Jackets opened the season with Bay High, East Central and St. Stanislaus.

St. Martin hasn’t qualified for the state playoffs for the past six seasons, since 2018. The Yellow Jackets head into this season having lost 22 straight region games dating back to mid-way in the 2021 season.

Cagnolatti replaces Smith, who left his position several months ago and eventually accepted the head coaching position at Ben Lomond High School in Ogden, Utah.