By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

The prep football season turns six this week.

And, as usual, Rock’s Locks is back to fill y’all in on it all.

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.

Just about half of the 24 teams in the “Southern Six” are off this week. But there’s still quite a few interesting match-ups on tap.

In the words of James Taylor, “There is a young cowboy, who lives on the range…”

1. Gulfport at Ocean Springs (Game of the Week) — In a scheduling quirk, the Greyhounds host the Admirals for the second straight season in Region 4-7A play. Ocean Springs comes in on a school record 25 game region win streak, that started at the end of the 2020 season under then OSHS head coach and now current GHS head coach Blake Pennock. The Greyhounds are now 11-0 in league play under head coach Kake Bramlett, after a 31-6 win over Biloxi last week, after Bramlett took over for Pennock. This is the region 4-7A opener for Gulfport. Ocean Springs, which has won four straight league titles, is also on a five game winning streak over the Admirals. We don’t see anything changing tonight…Ocean Springs 27, Gulfport 17.
2. D’Iberville at West Harrison — Another big battle to stay atop the Region 4-7A standings as the Hurricanes host the Warriors this week. This one, though, features two teams that are already 1-0 in the league standings after WHHS slipped past St. Martin 26-21 and DHS destroyed Harrison Central 42-6. This is the ninth all-time meeting between the two Harrison County foes, and the Warriors are a perfect 8-0 including a 46-0 win in 2020 which was the last time the two teams met. With a slight nod to homefield advantage…West Harrison 21, D’Iberville 20.
3. Hancock at Bay High — A big game for these two Hancock County rivals for a different reason, as both come in a combined 0-8 on the season and are each looking for their first wins under new head coaches. The Tigers, under the direction of Katlan French, are 0-4 and coming off of a 28-7 road loss in Hattiesburg to Presbyterian Christian last week, while the Hawks were licking their wounds on an open date after losing four straight times to open the season under the guidance of Mikey King. This is the first meeting between these two teams in nine years, since a 49-0 Hancock win in 2016, but he Hawks have won four in a row dating back to 2013. Hancock 41, Bay 14.
4. St. Martin at Biloxi — Back to the Region 4-7A race, two teams coming off of losses to open league play as the Indians host the Yellow Jackets. This is the 26th meeting on the gridiron in a series that celebrates its 30th anniversary this season and dates back to 1995. With four teams without a loss ahead of both BHS and SMHS in the region race currently, an 0-2 start for either will be tough to overcome. The Indians have won six straight in this series, but that streak ends tonight…St. Martin 23, Biloxi 21.
5. Stone at St. Stanislaus — A pair of teams off to a couple of rough starts to the season square off at Brother Phillip Memorial Stadium Friday night. The Rocks are 1-4, and the Tomcats 1-3 and both are coming off of losses last week as well. This marks just the seventh all-time meeting in a series that dates back 53 years and started in 1972. Stone leads the series 4-2, after a 32-0 win last year. Stone 56, St. Stanislaus 15.
6. Pass Christian at Greene County — Region 8-4A play gets underway for both the Pirates and Wildcats in Leakesville this week at Johnny Ainsworth Stadium. Pass Christian is 4-2 after an exciting 35-33 win over visiting East Central last week, while GCHS is 4-1 and also coming off of a close 24-21 home win over Gautier last week. A shaky nod to the visitors…Pass Christian 26, Greene County 24.
7. Moss Point at Forrest County AHS — The other Region 8-4A opener this week pits the Tigers heading to Brooklyn to face the Aggies in another contest pitting a pair of new head coaches against one another. Moss Point is 1-4 under Derrick Jenkins, after an embarrassing 63-18 loss to visiting Vancleave last week. This is just the fourth meeting all-time between the two teams on the football field, and MPHS is a perfect 3-0 including a 48-6 thumping of the Aggies in the opening round of the 2022 Class 4A South State playoffs. This marks the first regular season meeting in 17 years, since 2008. The Aggies get their first win ever over once mghty Moss Point…FCAHS 41, Moss Point 12.

A Six Pack to Go:

Poplarville 27, McComb 25

Richton 21, Resurrection 6

South Jones 28, Long Beach 16

Presbyterian Christian 42, St. Patrick 14

Petal 28, West Jones 21

Oak Grove 21, Houston (Tenn.) 17