By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

LINTON — The prep football season turns eight weeks old this week.

But the prep volleyball season comes to an end.

And both of those circumstances have a good portion of the student body at George County High School in the vicinity of the State Capitol in Jackson Friday as two teams representing both sports converge in the central part of the state.

Friday morning, the Lady Rebels volleyball team faces Lake Cormorant in their first trip ever to the state volleyball championship round here at A.E. Wood Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi College in Clinton. Meanwhile, later Friday night the Rebel football team takes on Jackson Jim Hill at nearby South Jackson Field at Forrest Hill High School.

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

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.

In the words of the late, great John Prine …”There’s a big ole goofy boy dancing with a big ole goofy girl, oh baby, it’s a big ole goofy world…”

1. Moss Point at Pass Christian (Game of the Week) — One of the biggest games in regular season history for the Pirates takes place Friday as they welcome the Tigers in to McDonald Stadium. A third straight win in Region 8-4A will in all likelihood give Pass its first ever region title in program history. And Moss Point will also have a say in who wins the region crown as a win this week and next week against Greene County could result in the first league title for the Tigers in four years. This one won’t be close…Pass Christian 42, Moss Point 12.
2. St. Stanislaus at St. Patrick — Even though you couldn’t tell it by looking at their respective records, a pair of “Catholic League” rivals each coming off of losses in Region 8-3A play last week face off Friday night with a lot on the line. Both teams come in to this annual battle with losing marks, as the Rock-A-Chaws stand 1-6 and the Fighting Irish are 2-5 in year two under former SSC head coach Nate Encrapera. This is just the sixth all-time meeting between the two teams, and the Rocks have won all five prior games including a 37-0 decision last year. With only five teams in Region 8-3A this season, the winner of this game will in all likelihood secure a berth in the upcoming Class 3A South State playoffs. St. Patrick 7, St. Stanislaus 3.
3. Gulfport at West Harrison — Just the second all-time meeting on the football field between these two teams is yet a big one in Region 4-7A play as the Admirals head to West Harrison High for just the second time and first in six years. Both teams are coming off of key league wins last week, and Gulfport sits alone in first place in the region race at 2-0 and he Hurricanes are 2-1 in the league standings. Gulfport won the only other meeting on the field 36-0 in 2019, but WHHS is credited with a forfeit win in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. Gulfport 24, West Harrison 21.
4. D’Iberville at St. Martin — The Yellow Jackets host the Warriors in a key Region 4-7A encounter after each dropped league games last week. D’Iberville needs a win to take another step towards returning to the Class 7A South State playoffs for the second straight season, and St. martin’s postseason hopes would greatly improve as well with a win. The Warriors are 2-1 in the region race and the Yellow Jackets are 2-1. A loss bu the home team, however, would place their possible playoff run on life support. D’Iberville 27, St. Martin 20.
5. Hancock at Picayune — The Maroon Tide now has the longest region win streak in South Mississippi which stands at 25 as they host the Hawks in Region 4-6A play at Lee-Triplett Stadium. Both teams are coming off of wins in their respective region openers, as Picayune continued its dominance over Picayune with an exciting 38-36 win last week while Hancock thumped PRC 41-21. This marks the 17th all-time meeting between the two teams in a series that the Maroon Tide have dominated over the years with a 13-3 record, including a 35-17 win last year. The series resumed two years ago after a 19 year break, and Hancock’s last win over Picayune came 22 years ago in 2002 in a close 13-12 decision. Picayune 35, Hancock 28.
6. Gautier at Pearl River Central — A pair of teams coming off very different outcomes in their respective Region 4-6A openers clash at Kenneth L. Hendrix Stadium in Carriere this week as the Blue Devils host the Gators. This is the 11th all-time meeting between the two teams the Gautier holds a commanding 7-3 lead in the series. This is the first meeting in three years, when the Gators won 35-0. In fact, GHS carries a seven game win streak in the series into this one with the last PRC win coming a decade ago in 2015. The two teams first met in 2011. Gautier 31, PRC 27.
7. Purvis at Stone — Two of the three unbeaten teams in Region 4-5A play after the opening week of league play face off at A.L. May Stadium in Perkinston on the campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. The Tomcats continued their recent dominance over Wayne County last week while Purvis beat East Central. Stone 16, Purvis 14.

A Six pack to Go:

Biloxi 13, Harrison Central 7

Pascagoula 41, Long Beach 14

George County 28, Jackson Jim Hill 13

Vancleave 7, Wayne County 0

Northeast Jones 10, East Central 6

Greene County 41, Bay High 7