By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

GAUTIER — Long live the King.
Picayune captured its fifth straight region title with its 28th consecutive league win Friday night, 35-31 in exciting fashion over home-standing Gautier.
The decision in Region 4-6A play moves the Maroon Tide to 8-1 overall and 4-0 in the region race, while the Gators dropped to 3-6 overall and 1-3 in the loop. The loss also eliminated Gautier, which played for the Class 5A state championship last year, from state playoff contention.
“It was great to get the win and lock up the one seed,” Picayune sixth-year head coach Cody Stogner said. “It was a war. Any time we play Gautier it’s a fight until the end. Really proud of my guys for overcoming adversity throughout the game to get the win.”

Picayune quarterback Colt Robertson hit Maroon Tide running back Jordan Hathorne on a 70-yard catch and run for what proved to be the eventual game-winning score with right at seven minutes to play. Hathorne hauled in the throw at mid-field after getting behind the Gator secondary and sprinted untouched into the end zone.
Gautier’s three league losses have come by a combined nine total points; two by four points and one by a single digit.
“I’m proud of the kids. They gave great effort all game,” GHS head coach Marh High said. “We’ve been a couple plays away every game.”
The last score came just over a minute after Gautier place-kicker Eric Robinson booted a 30-yard field goal to break a 28-28 tie and put the home team up 31-28.
Hathorne also added an 11-yard scoring run late in the third period to create that 28-28 deadlock.

Picayune running back Xavier Dennis raced 95-yards right off the bat to put the Maroon Tide up 7-0 early in the game. He also added a 35-yard scoring scamper to make it 21-21 going into halftime.
Dennis finished with 271 yards rushing and the two scores. Jamari Hathorne added a 9-yard touchdown dash for Picayune.
Gautier got another solid performance from eighth-grade quarterback Keon McNeil, as he threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns, including scoring strikes to Kasin Thomas and Kelly Steele.
Gator running back Latrell Pogue ran for just over 100 yards and one touchdown.
Despite winning three state titles from 1986-2013, Picayune had never won more than two straight region championships in program history until Stogner took the helm of the Maroon Tide.
“It’s a huge testament to the past and current players to carry on the tradition of our program,” Stogner added. “It’s always our first goal of every season.”