By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

D’IBERVILLE — It has been four years since D’Iberville has won four straight football games and it’s been three years since Pascagoula has lost three straight.
However, one of those outcomes will repeat itself Friday night/
The Panthers head to Harrison County for the first of two trips this season to face an undefeated Warrior squad. Pascagoula sits at 1-2 after two straight losses, and DHS is 3-0 for the first time since 2021. The last time PHS lost three straight games was mid-season in 2022, when that streak actually reached five.

This is the 14th meeting overall for these two teams on the football field, but 11th in the last 12 years. Pascagoula snapped a six game losing streak to the Warriors last year with a 21-7 home win at War Memorial Stadium. However, the Warriors still hold a commanding 9-4 lead all-time in the series.

D’Iberville is one of the few “Southern Six” squads that veteran PHS head coach Lewis Sims hasn’t had much success against over the past 15 years. In fact, Sims stands just 2-8 overall vs. DHS.

“No bigger game on our schedule,” Sims said, after practice Thursday afternoon. “D’Iberville is a talented, well-coached team that plays all four quarters. They stretch you vertically and horizontally with their “sling-t” style of play. You have to be disciplined and physical on defense. They play solid defense and have one of the most talented defenses on the coast. They are big and fast and play physical. We have a tall task in front of us Friday night.”

The two teams first met in a Bi-District title match in 1981, the first year that a state-wide prep football playoff system was implemented in Mississippi.

Then, the teams didn’t meet again on the football field for 16 more years, when they faced off in back-to-bacck seasons in 1997 and 1998.

The series then went back on hiatus, until 2013, and since then it has become an much-anticipated affair each season.

Pascagoula is in the midst of a four game streak facing foes from Region 4-7A. The Warriors are one of four Region 4-7A squads off to a 3-0 start this season, along with West Harrison, St. Martin and Ocean Springs.
Those Greyhounds moved to 3-0 with a hard-fought 21-14 win over home-standing Pascagoula last week at War Memorial Stadium.
Pascagoula defensive back Kaiden Street picked off a pass and returned it 54-yards for a touchdown less than a minute into the game to put the Panthers up quickly 7-0.
Greyhound running back Solomon Baggett tallied a pair of rushing touchdowns in the first half, but Pascagoula responded with a 52-yard kickoff return to the OSHS 45 by D’Lass Nunnery, and Panther quarterback Jason Glaude found Nunnery several plays later on a 27-yard scoring strike to put PHS up 14-7 at the end of the opening frame.
The Panthers had a golden opportunity to extend their lead just after that, thanks to an interception by Tomareo Johnson that he returned deep in OSHS territory.

But the Greyhounds turned PHS away, blocking a field goal attempt, and PHS wouldn’t really threaten to score again. Pascagoula played all game without starting senior tailback Amarie Jackson, who was out with an injury, as well as most of the contest without starting quarterback Jason Glaude.
Linebacker Jarrad Loper took over behind center when Glaude was knocked out of the game, and did an admirable job.
Meanwhile, D’Iberville went on the road and thumped Class 3A opponent Seminary 49-21 last week.
D’Iberville quarterback Jordan Walley and Warrior running back Chan Harvey each accounted for three touchdowns apiece in the win.
Walley completed eight of nine passes for 187 yards and one touchdown
Christian Butler and Malakai Knight also picked up rushing touchdowns for DHS.