By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PASCAGOULA — The last time Pascagoula High School played for a state football championship, an unlikely leader emerged as the starting quarterback.

Now, some 13 years later, the Panthers hope that same scenario is playing out again as the current football season heads into November.

The leading tackler in Pascagoula history is also now the starting signal-caller for Pascagoula, as linebacker-turned-quarterback Jarrad Loper, Jr., moved over from the defensive unit to take snaps earlier this season. He has been at the helm of a Panther unit that has piled up 47 and 42 points the past two games and has put PHS in prime position to clinch a berth in the upcoming Class 6A South State playoffs with another win in the final two regular season games.

The senior Loper was called upon to take over as PHS QB1 after an injury to junior Jason Galude, who began the season in the starting role.

“We weren’t concerned at all about moving him over,” veteran PHS head coach Lewis Sims said. “He has been taking quarterback reps for the past four years (in practice). He knows the playbook and has been working with these receivers for four years also. Our biggest concern was getting him into playing shape quick enough to go both ways.”

Loper has really settled into the role well over the past two games in Region 4-6A play. Last week, in a dominating 42-0 win over visiting PRC, he accounted for over 200 yards of total offense as he was 12-of-15 for 132 yards and two touchdowns through the air including  44-yard scoring strike to Braylan Belcher and he also ran for 73 yards. All of those numbers came in the first half alone.

His stat sheet could have looked considerably stronger expect for the fact that his touchdown toss to Belcher just before halftime put PHS up 35-0 and induced the running clock for the entire second half.

The week prior, in a 47-14 road win over Long Beach, Loper also passed for a score in another game that featured a running clock all throughout the second half.

In the win last week, Loper eclipsed the 1,000 yard passing mark on the season and now has eight scoring passes, including a 72-yarder.

“Jarrad has been a selfless leader for our team.” Sims continued. “He has been willing to do anything we ask of him to help our team be successful. He works hard in the weight room, the film room, and the practice field, honing his game to help him be the best player he can be.”

In addition to his work behind center, Loper recently became the all-time leading tackler in PHS program history during the win over Long Beach also from his middle linebacker spot. He has been the leading tackler for the Panthers as a sophomore and a junior also.

The last time Sims and PHS utilized a top defender as the quarterback was in 2012, when yet another linebacker Stacy Warren jumped over the line of scrimmage and took over mid-season and began taking the snaps.

All Warren did was through for almost 1,300 yards and seven scores while running for 900 more yards and set PHS on a path to the overall Class 5A state championship game.

“This ain’t our first rodeo doing this,” Sims said, with a grin. “Jarrad is leaning into his role as a team leader and is learning to be an outstanding leader in all facets of life.”

Pascagoula travels to Hancock with second place in the region race on the line Friday night.