By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

Last year, Poplarville won more state playoff games in one season than Biloxi has in the history of the Indians program.

In less than a week, both teams will embark on a new season with a historic match-up awaiting each in the opening week.

Poplarville will open its first season in program history as a defending state champion by hosting West Harrison on Friday, Aug. 29th. Not only will it mark the first-ever meting between the Hornets and Hurricanes on the football field, but it will serve as West Harrison’s first contest ever as a Class 7A program.

Also, after two seasons in Region 8-4A, the Hornets are headed back to the more “northern” loop of Region 7-4A this coming season.

And that move contributes to the fact that Poplarville will face an almost completely new schedule in 2025 than it did in its state championship run last season.

Veteran head coach Jay Beech’s crew will face just county rival Pearl River Central and Stone as returning foes from last year’s slate, but the Hornets have added two other “Southern Six” opponents this season in Hancock and another county rival Picayune as well as West Harrison.

Poplarville enters Region 7-4A which also consists of Columbia, McComb, Lawrence County and South Pike.

Pow Wow time

Meanwhile, Biloxi opens head coach Jamey Dubose’s second season at the helm of the Indians at home again by hosting a brand new foe as well in Holmes County Central.

The Jaguars and BHS have never met on the football field. Holmes County Central is a fairly new program, in just its 12th season of playing football.

The Class 5A Jags made it to the second round of the state playoffs last year, something Biloxi hasn’t done in 14 years.

This year, the Indians replaced Stone, Meridian and George County on its schedule with Holmes County, Picayune and new Region 4-7A foe West Harrison.