By Curtis Rockwell/Sports Director

The playoff participants in all seven classifications across the “Southern Six” are set just about set after the dust settled Friday night.

Now, only the seeding remains in some spots for the larger three classes while which wrap up the regular season this week while the postseason begins this week for the lower four classifications.

In Class 3A, St. Patrick travels to Franklin County Friday night to open the playoffs.

In Class 4A, Pass Christian hosts South Pike and Moss Point heads to undefeated Columbia in two more games set for Friday night. On the same night, Poplarville heads to Brooklyn to face Forrest County AHS.

Also on Friday night, George County is the only larger school in the “Southern Six” in action Friday night as the Rebels head to Jackson to meet Forrest Hill in Region 3-6A play.

George County needs a win to secure the fourth and final seed in that league. Hattiesburg, West Jones and Terry will occupy the top three spots, and HHS travels to THS Thursday night in a key game that will decide the order.

If the Rebels can indeed get that win, then they would head to Picayune to open the Class 6A South State playoffs the following week. That’s because the seeding in Region 4-6A is set.

Picayune won its fifth straight region title Friday night at the same time Pascagoula secured second place. Hancock is the third seed and PRC the fourth.

In Class 5A, Stone clinched the Region 4-5A crown Friday night. Wayne County nabbed the second seed, leaving Purvis, Vancleave, East Central and Northeast Jones all battling for the final two playoff spots in the league.

On Thursday night, East Central heads to Stone, Vancleave travels to Purvis and NEJ hosts WCHS. All three games will have potential playoff implications.

Then, in Class 7A, Gulfport is the Region 4-7A champ while Ocean Springs has clinched the second seed.

D’Iberville host Biloxi Thursday night. The Warriors are currently the third seed at 3-2, while the Indians and St. Martin are a game behind at 2-3.

Also on Thursday night, the Yellow Jackets host the Greyhounds. The final two seeds in the loop will be decided pending the outcome of those two contests.

If both DHS and OSHS win, then the Warriors finish third. Biloxi, SMHS and West Harrison would then end up in a three-way tie for the fourth seed.

If that happens, the Indians earn the fourth seed due to the 12-point tie-breaker procedure. If Biloxi beats D’Iberville and St. Martin loses, then BHS is third and the Warriors are fourth.

If both Biloxi and St. Martin win, then both the Indians and Warriors are in and the seeding would depend on the margin of victory. Biloxi would have to win by eight points or more to earn the third seed.

If DHS and the Yellow Jackets both win, then D’Iberville is third and St. Martin is fourth. That is the only scenario in which the Yellow Jackets make the state playoffs and Biloxi is out.

West Harrison, which concluded its regular season with a 42-35 loss to Biloxi Friday night, has officially been eliminated from playoff contention.