(This is a column of opinion by SouthMiss6 Sports Director Curtis Rockwell)
BILOXI — In 17 seasons of playing prep football, West Harrison has won just 43 games and lost 134.
That’s a winning (?) percentage of just 24 percent.
But, throughout all of those losses, a list of which includes four win-less campaigns and two more one win seasons, the latest loss was by far the most painful.
No loss ever, in the history of the program, was a more crushing blow to the Hurricanes than what they experienced Friday night after they led by eight points with less than a minute to play.

To borrow and re-word a phrase from Rod Stewart, “the last cut is the deepest…”.
Entering this season, the Hurricanes had never managed to qualify for the state football playoffs in program history. But, this year was gonna be different.
Instead, after some bizarre happenings on Halloween night, the season is suddenly and in heart-breaking fashion over after a stunning 42-35 loss to Biloxi in overtime at The Biloxi Sports Complex.
Loaded with by far the most talented group in the history of the program, West Harrison began the season in resounding fashion by going on the road and thumping defending Class 4A state champion Poplarville 34-18.
The Hurricanes followed that by averaging 45 points per game over the next three weeks in ripping off three straight wins over Forest, Gautier and Laurel to end pre-region play at 4-0.

That trio of wins came against the defending Class 5A South State champion Gators, perennial state power Golden Tornadoes and a FHS team that currently sits at 8-2 overall and lost to Poplarville in the Class 4A South State title tilt last year.
A 26-21 win over fellow unbeaten St. Martin to open Region 4-7A play followed and pushed West Harrison to 5-0 for the first-time ever in program history.
Three losses in the next four contests to longtime league kingpins Ocean Springs, Gulfport and D’Iberville really mattered little, because those defeats were sandwiched around an 18-0 road win over Harrison Central that placed the Hurricanes in prime position going into their regular season finale against the Indians to snap that long playoff drought and record school history.

Instead, those postseason dreams were shattered on the playing surface at Biloxi High just before 10 p.m., Friday night ,when Indian versatile athlete William Lai took a snap from the shotgun formation and dashed untouched into the corner of the end zone to give BHS the come-from-behind win after trailing by eight points with less than a minute left in the game.
The result left many WHHS players distraught and spread across the field and throughout the end zone in tears with their helmets off. So much so, that the Hurricanes were barely able to get 11 players back on the field in time for the Indians to kick the all-important extra point to close out the seven point win.
Coming into the game, Biloxi had to win by at least six points to remain alive for a possible state playoff berth and also eliminate the Hurricanes from contention.

Make no mistake about it, in his eight seasons as Hurricane head coach Quincy Patrick has done yeoman’s work since taking over a once hapless program and transforming it out of the doldrums of defeat after defeat into respectability throughout the “Southern Six” and beyond.

After all, West Harrison finishes the season at 6-4 which is just the fourth ever winning campaign for the Hurricanes and second in the last four years under his direction. Also, in the past four seasons, WHHS is 22- 18, which marks the first such four year stretch with a winning record in school history.
However, in the biggest game by far in program history, needing just a win by any margin to qualify for the postseason for the first time ever, the Hurricanes came up short.
And, the cold, hard truth of the matter is that after a crushing loss on a cool, clear and crisp All Hallows Eve, the Hurricanes are still, unfortunately, for the 17th straight season, sitting on the outside looking in as the state playoffs begin.
(This is a column of opinion by SouthMiss6 Sports Director Curtis Rockwell)