(NOTE: Due to a last minute decision by Gulfport School District Superintendent Glenn East and GHS Athletics Director Matt Walters, for the first time ever, to deny access to the game for our Chief Photog and a Sports Writer there was no way to identify any Admiral players for purposes of this story.)

A Staff Report

GULFPORT — The Picayune Maroon Tide and the Gulfport Admirals clash saw five lead changes, but Picayune scored on their first three possessions of the second half to hold off the Gulfport Admirals 31-28 at Milner Stadium Friday night.
Gulfport put together a spectacular drive to the Picayune 8-yard line with just under a minute remaining on the game clock, but Gulfport’s hopes came to an end as the drive halted with a Jamari Hathorne interception near the goal line to secure the win for the Maroon Tide.

“We did everything we could in the first half to hand it to them,” Picayune head coach Cody Stogner said. “We played better in the second half, but it still wasn’t great. But I was proud of our resilient effort. It was a great way to open the season, good win for us.”

Gulfport led for most of the game, taking the lead at 21-16 to open the final quarter, after leading 21-13 at halftime. But the Maroon Tide wore down the Admirals defense with a seven and a half-minute drive to open the second half. The drive yielded a field goal, but the drive took a toll on the Admirals’ defense.
On the Admirals’ ensuing possession, they failed to pick up a first down, and they failed to convert on fourth-and-three down deep in their own territory at the 28-yard line. The Gulfport quarterback was sacked for a loss of five yards, giving the Maroon Tide a very short field at the Gulfport 23-yard line.
And Picayune wasted little time, going seven plays, scoring on a 10-yard touchdown toss to Xavier Dennis to give the Maroon Tide their first lead of the game on the third play of the fourth quarter. A successful 2-point conversion gave the Tide a 24-21 lead at the 11:46 mark of the final quarter.
But the Admirals would answer as a Gulfport player took the ensuing kickoff from inside the one-yard line and broke through the middle of the field and in front of the Maroon Tide’s sideline, going 99 yards on the kickoff return to regain the lead for the Admirals at 28-24.
The Maroon Tide responded with a 78-yard drive with a 10-play drive from their own 22-yard line. The drive got a huge jolt on a Dennis 29-yard carry on the fifth play of the drive, giving the Maroon Tide good field position at the Gulfport 34.

Jamari Hathorne capped the drive to give the Maroon Tide their second lead of the game. Edgar Cruz closed out the game’s scoring with a successful PAT kick.
Picayune took the ball out of the hands of the Gulfport return team on the ensuing kickoff, electing to us a short high kick which Gulfport fielded at their own 32-yardline. But an Admiral player would make a play on Gulfport’s possession with a 13-yard carry to give the Admirals a first down at the Maroon Tide 39-yard line. But the Admirals would net 6 yards from there, before turning the ball over on downs to Picayune on an incomplete pass on fourth down from the Maroon Tide 33 with 3:10 left.

Gulfport capitalized on a strong defensive stand late in the second quarter, capped by a sack of the Maroon Tide punter late in the second quarter after the Admirals defense denied the visitors a first down. The sack gave the Admirals excellent field position 20 yards from paydirt with 1:33 showing on the second quarter clock.
On third-and-goal, Gulfpor scored a touchdown to regain the lead just before halftime.
The Maroon Tide would rush for just over 300 yards with Dennis leading the way with 130 yards and a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown.
Picayune (1-0) travels to Slidell Northshore (LA) next Friday, while Gulfport (0-1) is open.

(Sports Writer Maurice Singleton contributed the Picayune side of things for this story that was edited by Sports Director Curtis Rockwell)