By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

Before we get to this week’s picks, I need to take a minute to give credit where it is due.

Last Friday night, Poplarville standout junior running back Ty Keys ran roughshod through the Hancock defense to the tune of a career and program high 506 yards and a state-record-tying eight touchdowns on just 18 carries in leading his Hornets to a 60-54 shootout win on the road over the Hawks.

But it’s not necessarily Keys that I want to recognize here.

Initial reports after the game stated that Keys had rushed for 546 yards, which would have been a new state record by three yards. However, after the Poplarville coaching staff watched the game film the next day, they adjusted Keys’ total to the correct total of 506 yards.

So, it’s the Poplarville High staff I’d like to give credit to today, for being truthful and honest about the final numbers.

In this world we live in today, dare I say several if not quite a few folks would have gladly gone along with the already developing opinion on social media that Keys had indeed broken the state single game rushing record.

Heck, I know first-hand of some folks associated with a certain team in Jackson County that has routinely over the past few years manipulated game stats to benefit their own players.

But not veteran Poplarville Hornet head coach Jay Beech and his staff. They did the right thing. And for that, I, as a sports writer for the past 30 plus years covering prep sports in the “Southern Six”, am quite grateful.

Rock’s Locks is back in South Mississippi for yet another prep football season. Rock’s Locks was a steady feature in several daily newspapers (remember those?) across South Mississippi for much of the past three decades and has been a part of the journalistic fabric of prep football across the “Southern Six” for most of that time frame as well. Each week we will attempt to provide some insight with some prep pigskin prognosticator picks and provide you readers with much material to ridicule me with I am sure.

There are a total of six all “Southern Six” match-ups this week, down a little from the eight we saw in the first three weeks of the season.

In the words of the Counting Crows, “It’s a lifetime commitment, recovering the satellites…”

1. Ocean Springs at Picayune (Game of the Week) — Many folks felt like this would be a match-up of the top two teams in the “Southern Six” when it was announced that this rivalry was renewed, and those folks were right. Both the Greyhounds and the Maroon Tide come into the match-up this week unbeaten on the season at 3-0. This marks the 25th all-time meeting between these two teams on the football field, and the series is extremely close with Picayune up 13-11 after an exciting road win 38-35 over OSHS last season. OSHS head coach Jake Bramlett celebrated the birth of his third child earlier this week, and we think his Greyhounds will shower him with a gift of a big win on the road Friday night…Ocean Springs 27, Picayune 24.
2. Pascagoula at D’Iberville — 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 in four years. 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. Veteran PHS head coach Lewis Sims hasn’t had much success overall against DHS recently, but we see that changing tonight…Pascagoula 21, D’Iberville 17.
3. Biloxi at Hattiesburg — The Indians head to D.I. Patrick Stadium on the campus of Hattiesburg High for the 85th all-time meeting between Biloxi and the Tigers this week. This series dates back 103 years, and Hattiesburg holds a 46-36-2 all-time advantage in the affair with many of those battles being staged back in the old Big 8 Conference Days. Both teams sit at 1-2 overall coming into this one, and both are coming off of losses last week. The Tigers pulled out a hard-fought 12-7 win at The Biloxi Sports Complex last year. Biloxi gets a bit of revenge on the road this year…Biloxi 20, Hattiesburg 13.
4. Hancock at St. Martin — The Hawks and Yellow Jackets face off for the 38th time Friday night, and for the second straight season in St. Martin. St. Martin snapped a short two game losing streak in the series with an exciting 22-21 win in overtime last season. This will mark the 15th consecutive season that these two teams have met on the gridiron in a series that dates back to 1960 and was renewed in 2011 when the current streak started after an absence of almost a decade. Both team have new head coaches in place, as St. Martin comes in with a perfect 3-0 start under Woody Cagnolatti while Hancock is still looking for its first at 0-3 under Mikey King. This one won’t be close...St. Martin 49, Hancok 21.
5. Moss Point at Gautier — The Tigers finally snapped an 11 game losing streak with a home win over St. Stanislaus last week, and now they head west for a short drive to renew this Jackson County rivalry with the Gators. Both teams are 1-2 on the season, and Gautier is coming off of two straight losses, including a 47-17 loss on the road to West Harrison last week. This game marks the 21st all-time meeting on the football field between these two foes, in a series that dates back to 2001. Moss Point leads the series 12-8, but Gautier has won four straight and five out of the past six games after a 48-33 win last year. We see the Gators getting back on track in this Jackson County battle…Gautier 31, Moss Point 12.
6. Poplarville at PRC — Pearl River County rivals that are both off to solid starts face off in the resumption of this series this week. The Blue Devils are rolling at 3-0, and the defending Class 4A state champion Hornets sit at 2-1. This marks the 68th meeting all-time between the Hornets and Blue Devils on the gridiron, with Poplarville holding a commanding 45-22 advantage, including seven straight wins. Poplarville stopped visiting PRC 41-28 last year. Poplarville 35, PRC 27.
7. Pass Christian at St. Stanislaus — Two teams coming off rough losses last week square off at Brother Philllip Memorial Stadium this week as the Rock-A-Chaws welcome in the Pirates. This is the 50th all-time meeting between the two long time rivals, with SSC leading 25-22-2 after a big 47-10 win by PCHS last year. The Pirates have also won four out of the past five games in the annual affair. This one won’t be close, either…Pass Christian 56, St. Stanislaus 15.

A Six Pack to Go:

Greene County 33, Vancleave 13

Petal 27, Gulfport 17

West Harrison 55, Laurel 15

Forrest County AHS 30, East Central 13

Sacred Heart 28, Resurrection 6

George County 3, Wayne County 0 (OT)