By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

There were a few eye-opening numbers that we noticed in the second week of the prep football season.

First, for the first time in nine years, St. Martin has combined for 98 points in two straight games. The Yellow Jackets have started the new season off with a pair of road wins, 64-21 over Vancleave and 34-14 over East Central.

The last time that happened in consecutive games was in the 2016 season, with back-to-back wins over ECHS 63-55 also in Shirley Stadium and in a 42-35 home loss to Gulfport. But, the last time St. Martin scored that many points in consecutive wins came the year before, 10 years ago in 2015, with two big wins over Picayune 63-28 at home and then a 46-13 win over Crestview, Fla., on the road for 109 points.

It marks the best start to a season in 11 years for SMHS, when the Yellow Jackets opened the season with back-to-back wins at home 49-28 over Columbia and 56-27 over, again, East Central.

Also, it’s the first time that St. Martin has won games on the road in two consecutive weeks to open the season since 2013, when the Yellow Jackets beat Columbia 42-6 and, yep, you guessed it, East Central 30-20. In fact, SMHS has won seven out of its last eight games against its cross-county rival in Hurley since the 2012 season.

• Pearl River Central is also off to a solid 2-0 start, and, while not quite matching St. Martin’s offensive output, the Blue Devils have combined for 83 points so far in a 49-0 home win over Bay High and a 34-16 decision in Slidell, La., last week over Pope John Paul which amounts to a new school record in points over the first two games of a season. PRC did combine for 84 points just last year in back-to-back games, but one was a 41-28 loss to Poplarville and the next a 56-35 win over Bay High. This season marks the first 2-0 start for PRC since 2020, but it is the most points in the first two games of the season since 2012 in 41-7 and 53-7 wins over Hancock and New Orleans (La.) Grace King. However, there were three weeks between those two games due to a scheduled open date in week two and then a cancellation of a game against Perry Central due to Hurricane Issac in week three. So, the last time PRC opened the season at 2-0 with back-to-back weeks of at least 70 points scored was in 2004 with 29-7 win over Poplarville and a 41-19 win over Purvis. In 1955, PRC started the season off with consecutive wins over D’Iberville 47-0 and Perkinston High 25-14, for 72 points.
• Finally, Pass Christian is also off to an impressive 2-0 start thanks to a pair of fine offensive outbursts as well. The Pirates have thumped Long Beach 49-14 at home and then went on the road to Purvis last week and almost matched that with a 48-14 decision. The 97 point explosion in back-to-back games is the most for The Pass since scoring 94 points in 2016 in wins over West Harrison 38-21 and West Lincoln 56-12. However, the 97 points is the best start to a season for the Pirates in at least 80 years, and perhaps ever.

“Super 7” in the “Southern 6”

Every Tuesday through the first week in December, we will publish our “Super 7 in the Southern 6” weekly poll involving all 24 prep football teams in our coverage area.

The weekly poll is the only one in the state that is voted on by a panel of veteran sportswriters, a few selected area coaches and other media members.

This week is the week 3 rankings for 2025.

“Super 7 in the Southern 6”

1. Picayune
2. Ocean Springs
3. West Harrison
4. Pass Christian
5. Pascagoula
6. Gulfport
7. Gautier & Poplarville

(Others receiving votes: Poplarville, D’Iberville, Biloxi, PRC, Stone)