By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

The prep football season turns nine this week. Can you believe it…???

But, 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.

With the regular season winding down, let’s jump right in here..

In the words of Van Morrison, “It’s a marvelous night for a moon dance with the stars up above in your eyes…”

1. PRC at Pascagoula (Game of the Week) — Just the eighth all-time meeting on the football field between the Panthers and Blue Devils goes down Friday night at War Memorial Stadium. It’s the first meeting in five years, and because of that 37-8 win by PHS in that 2020 run to the South State finals for the Panthers, Pascagoula has a slight 4-3 lead in the all-time series. Both teams sit at 1-1 in the region race, and whichever team leaves the playing surface at Dutch Binion Field this week will take a major step towards securing not only a berth in the upcoming Class 6A South State playoffs but possible homefield advantage in the opening round as well. We like the home team here...Pascagoula 27, PRC 21.
2. Stone at Vancleave — The Tomcats come into Jackson County this week in sole possession for the top spot in Region 4-5A. Vancleave could have been right there as well, but the Bulldogs went on the road to Waynesboro last week and laid a big egg in a 41-30 loss to Wayne County. Stone is 2-0 and VHS 1-1, as region play hits the homestretch Friday night. The Bulldogs have won two straight over Stone and three out-of-the-past four games as well, but Stone leads the all-time series that dates back 50 years to 1975. Stone 28, Vancleave 14.
3. Ocean Springs at West Harrison — The Greyhounds are coming off of an open date, and OSHS has a history of success under third-year head coach Jake Bramlett in the past two seasons after off weeks winning five straight in 2023 and seven straight in 2024. The Greyhounds are 2-1 in the region race, while the Hurricanes are 2-2. This is just the third meeting all-time between the two teams, and OSHS is 2-0. Ocean Springs 35, West Harrison 13.
4. Hancock at Gautier — A pair of teams sitting at 1-1 in the Region 4-6A race square off in yet another pivotal league match-up. The Gators probably feel like they should be 2-0 in league play after the way the game ended in a loss to PRC last week, while Hancock is happy to be all even after getting run out of the stadium in Picayune last week. This is just the fifth ever meeting on the football field between the Hawks and Gators, with the last coming five years ago, and the all-time series is dead even at 2-2. Gautier 35, Hancock 21.
5. Biloxi at Gulfport — The longtime arch-rival Indians and Admirals meet for the 103rd time this week, in a Region 4-7A contest that matters much more to the home team than it does the Indians. Both teams are coming off of wins in league play last week, and the Admirals lead the Region race at 3-0 while Biloxi sits at 1-2. Gulfport leads the all-time series 63-35-4, and the Admirals have dominated Biloxi as of late winning four straight and 12-of-the-past-13 outings also. However, the last BHS win in this series came in historic Milner Stadium, 7-6 during the Covid campaign of 2020. This one won’t be close…Gulfport 49, Biloxi 14.
6. Bay High at Forrest County AHS — While this may surprise some, but this Region 8-4A battle between these two teams is a key encounter as far as the upcoming Class 4A South State playoffs are concerned. The Aggies are 1-1 in the region race, and a win over win-less Bay High would earn FCAHS a berth in those aforementioned state playoffs. However, as starnage as it seems, if the 0-7 Tigers can put it all together and somehow pull out their first win of thed season, then Bay High would keep its postseason hopes alive and could possibly snatch that state playoff bid away depending on what happens next week. Forrest County 34, Bay High 7.
7. Wayne County at East Central — Same song, second verse. Only this time in Region 4-5A, as two teams with a combined two wins and 12 total losses between them square off in Hurley/Wade this week with each still harboring playoff aspirations. The 1-6 War Eagles could take a huge step towards another postseason trip with a win, and the Hornets can’t lose many more region games and hope to work their way into the playoffs again for the first time in three years. Wayne County 30, East Central 12.

A Six Pack to Go:

St. Martin 56, Harrison Central 6

Hattiesburg 21, George County 19

Picayune 52, Long Beach 3

Pass Christian 42, West Marion 27

Greene County 33, Moss Point 13

Presbyterian Christian 45, St. Stanislaus 0