By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

There’s nothing but state playoff action this week all across South Mississippi, and it’s time for our 12th installment of “A Look Ahead” here at SouthMiss6 Sports.

“A Look Ahead” has been a part of the journalistic fabric of prep football across the “Southern Six” for most of the past three decades. Each week of the season on Monday, we’ll take a look at the action set to kick off in that particular week all across this region.

It’s nothing but do-or-die from here on out for all teams left alive.

Here are 7 games in the “Southern Six” to keep an eye on this week:

1. Brandon at Ocean Springs (Game of the Week) — The third meeting in the state playoffs in the past four meetings between these two familiar foes takes place Friday night in Greyhound Stadium as the Bulldogs come south once again. Ocean Springs is the second seed from Region 4-7A and Brandon the third seed from Region 3-7A. The teams have met seven times in the past two decades, with Brandon winning the last six including 34-31 on a last second field goal three years ago in the Class 6A South State championship as well as thumping OSHS 31-13 last year in the Class 7A South State title tilt. The only OSHS win came 20 years ago in the opening round of 2005 state playoffs 19-12 in the first ever meeting between the teams.
2. Northwest Rankin at Gulfport — Just the third meeting ever between these two teams on the football field is set for Friday night at historic Milner Stadium. The Admirals are the number one seed from Region 4-7A and the Cougars the number four seed from Region 3-7A. The last time these two teams met was in the second week of the 2019 regular season, which is also ironically enough the same season in which Gulfport last won a state playoff game. The only other meeting came in the opening round of the Class 5A state playoffs in 1999. Gulfport won both of the two previous games.
3. George County at Picayune — George County travels to Picayune for the second straight year in the Class 6A South State playoffs as well as for the third time in the past 13 months, as these two former Region 4-6A foes square off once more at Lee-Triplett Stadium. The Maroon Tide is the top seed in Region 4-6A while the Rebels are the fourth seed in Region 3-6A. This marks the 21st all-time meeting on the football field between the two teams and Picayune has doubled up its advantage at 14-6 after a pair of wins last year. Picayune has also won six straight in this series dating back to a 2002 playoff encounter, which was a close 20-19 decision for GCHS at home in Lucedale. The last win for the Rebels in Picayune came 26 years ago also in the state playoffs with a 38-35 win in 1999.
4. Terry at Pascagoula — Just the second ever meeting between these two teams on the football field just so happens to take place almost one year to the day and back in the same venue at War Memorial Stadium as the Panthers host the Bulldogs. Pascagoula finished as the second seed in Region 4-6A for the second consecutive season behind Picayune, while Terry finished as the third seed for the third straight season in Region 3-6A behind Hattiesburg and West Jones. Pascagoula easily won last year 41-0.
5. D’Iberville vs. Petal — The 10th all-time meeting on the football field is set between the Warriors and Panthers Friday night in Petal to open the Class 7A South State playoffs. Petal is the second seed in Region 3-7A while DHS is the third seed from Region 4-7A. The all-time series is extremely close, with the Panthers up 5-4 after the Warriors won the past two games back-to-back in 202 and 2021. The series dates back to 1988, and all but three meetings have taken place in the postseason.
6. Sumrall at Stone — The top-seed from Region 4-5A in the Tomcats host the Bobcats in the opening round of the Class 5A South State playoffs after Sumrall finished fourth in Region 3-5A. This marks the 12th all-time meeting between the two teams, and Stone holds a commanding 9-2 overall lead including a 41-6 win in the postseason three years ago. That win marked the seventh straight on the field win for Stone over the Bobcats.
7. Morton at Pass Christian — The first-ever meeting between these two programs on the football field comes in the second round of the Class 4A South State playoffs as the Pirates host the Panthers Friday night at Buddy McDonald Stadium. Pass Christian, the top seed from Region 8-4A, smacked South Pike 52-32 last week while Morton, the third seed from Region 6-4A, advanced with a 35-14 win over West Lauderdale.