By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PASCAGOULA — Although there were plenty of ups and down and thumps, bumps and some bruises along the way, Pascagoula finished the season in much the same fashion as it began the current prep football campaign.
And now, the Panthers are headed into the Class 6A South State playoffs for the third straight season.
Pascagoula destroyed visiting Gautier 49-12 in the annual “Singing River Classic” here at War Memorial Stadium in the regular season finale for both teams. The win was the fourth straight for PHS, and evens up the overall record for the Panthers at 5-5 and Pascagoula finishes in the second spot in the Region 4-6A race and will host an opening round game in the Class 7A South State playoffs next week.

The Gators, meanwhile, dropped their fourth straight game and end up 3-6 overall and 1-4 in league play. Gautier, the defending Class 5A South State champion, struggled in Class 6A this season and will miss the postseason.
It was, in all likelihood, the final regular season game for veteran PHS head coach Lewis Sims, who is expected to retire at the end of the season. Sims, in his 18th season as a head coach between Moss Point and Pascagoula, has played Gautier every year and ends up an impressive 14-4 all-time against the Gators.
“We just wanted to go out and play a clean game and execute,” Sims, who’s team was up 42-3 at the half, said. “Gautier has a good team, and this was a really good way to wrap up the regular season. Our guys we’re focused, they’ve been on a mission for the past month or so.”

The Panthers wasted no time in leaving any doubt whatsoever in overwhelming the Gators, scoring three touchdowns in each of the first two quarters to take a quick and commanding lead in the contest.
Panther linebacker-turned-quarterback Jarrad Loper Jr. threw a trio of 70-yards or more touchdown passes and PHS senior standout tailback Amarie Jackson ran for three more scores in that decisive first half.
Loper tossed scoring strikes of 73-yards to Darrius Carter and 76-yards to D’Lass Nunnery as well as a 73-yard pitch, catch and run screen pass to Sean Norvell.
Jackson added short scoring runs of 1, 2 and 5 yards in between. He finished with 127 yards on the ground, marking his fifth straight outing of over 100-yards since returning to full strength after an early season injury setback.

Loper threw for 291 yards in the winning effort.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, the powerful Panther defense narrowly missed its third consecutive shutout for the first time under the direction of their defensive oriented head coach as well as the first time in 38 years, since opening the state championship season of 1987 with three straight shutouts.
Gautier place-kicker Eric Robinson supplied the only points of the night for the Gators on a 25-yard field goal in the first quarter to make it 7-3 at that point.

Pascagoula opened the season with a 47-0 thumping of its other neighboring Jackson County rival Moss Point.