By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

Things are suddenly headed in completely opposite directions for the two prep football teams from the “Southern Six” that played for state championships last season.
In Gautier, the defending Class 5A South State champ Gators suddenly find themselves fighting for their postseason lives after back-to-back heart-breaking losses in the final minutes.
Head coach Marc High’s team came into the season off of the first-ever state championship appearance in program history, and aiming for their fifth straight appearance in the state playoffs for just the second time in school history.

Visiting Hancock slipped past Gautier Friday night 28-27 in Region 4-6A action. The Gators took a 27-21 lead with just over three minutes to play, on quarterback Keon McNeil’s fourth touchdown pass of the game. But the Hawks blocked the extra point, and Hancock pulled the game out with a running touchdown by quarterback Kaison Koennen and a successful extra point.
McNeil, just an eighth grader, finished the night with a career-high 477 yards passing and the four scores, but he also threw four interceptions including two in the last part of the fourth frame that Hancock defensive back Kagon Anderson came up with.
Gautier dropped to 1-2 in the region race with just two games to play. The Gators were coming off on an excruciating loss on the road to PRC 17-14, when running back Latrell Pogue fumbled the ball at the goal line heading in for the winning score with just :14 seconds to play.

“We’ve got to limit turnovers and costly penalties,” High said. “We’ve lost three games on the last play of the game. Unlike last year, which was a little different when we won six games late in the game.”
Gautier has Picayune this week and then arch-rival Pascagoula next week left to play. The Maroon Tide brings a 27 straight game region win streak into Vaughan-Wallace Stadium Friday night, and currently lead the region race at 3-0 while the Panthers stand in second place at 2-1 after destroying PRC 42-0 Friday night.
The Gators travel to War Memorial Stadium to end the season next week against PHS. Gautier must sweep its last two games against tough competition in order to make it back to the state playoffs.

Meanwhile, in Pearl River County, defending Class 4A state champion Poplarville, after a shaky start to the season, clinched a berth in the upcoming Class 4A South State playoffs with an impressive 48-7 win over Lawrence County at home Friday night in Region 7-4 play.
New Hornet quarterback Trac Smith accounted for four total touchdowns in the winning effort, as he threw for two scores and ran for two more. Aaron Graham and Jayton Taylor were on the receiving end of those two touchdown catches, while Ty Keys and J.T. Graham added scoring runs as well in the comfortable win.
Poplarville started the season off at 3-2 in non-region play, and then dropped its opening league game on the road to home-standing McComb 35-34 to fall to 3-3 on the year. However, after experiencing an open date after the loss to McComb, veteran head coach Jay Beech’s squad has bounced back with a pair of impressive region wins at home, including out-scoring South Pike 62-24 preceding the win over the Cougars Friday night.

The Hornets, now 5-3 overall, head to Columbia to face the league-leading Wildcats Thursday night in the regular season finale for both teams. Columbia is a game ahead of both PHS and McComb, each of whom are 2-1 in league play.
Poplarville needs a win and some help from South Pike, which travels to McComb on Thursday, if the Hornets are to host an opening round Class 4A state playoff game for the 10th straight season.