By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

There may not be dinner on the grounds planned, but it’s gonna feel like a family reunion and “Old Home Week” across football fields all around the “Southern Six” this week.

That’s because reunions and rematches are the theme for over half of the state playoff contests among the 12 squads still playing in our coverage area.

In Class 4A, Poplarville travels to Forest for the second straight November this week. The game is a rematch of the Class 4A South State championship contest from last season that the Hornets pulled out 24-21 en route to capturing their first ever state title in program history.

This is just the third all-time meeting between the two teams, and the first came 44 years ago in 1981 which was in the second round of the state playoffs in the inaugural season when a state-wide playoff system was implemented in Mississippi.

In Class 6A, George County travels to Picayune Friday night for the second straight year in the South State playoffs as well as for the third time in the past 12 months, as these two former Region 4-6A foes square off once more at Lee-Triplett Stadium. 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.

Also in the Class 6A South State playoffs this week, Terry travels to Pascagoula for the second consecutive November in what is just the second ever meeting between these two teams on the football field. It just so happens to take place almost one year to the day and back in the same venue at War Memorial Stadium. Pascagoula easily won last year 41-0, also in the opening round of the state playoffs.

Plus, Hancock heads to Soso Friday for the second time in the past three seasons to open the Class 6A South State playioffs. The Mustangs hammered the Hawks 48-20 to open the 2023 Class 6A South State playoffs.

This marks just the second-ever meeting on the football field all-time between the two teams.

In addition, Pearl River Central heads to Hattiesburg to meet the Tigers Friday night. And even though this is the first-ever state playoff showdown between the two teams, it marks the third straight season the Blue Devils and HHS will square off after spending the prior two seasons as league foes in Region 3-6A.

It’s the ninth all-time meeting between the two, after they faced off for six straight seasons from 2015-2020. The Tigers are 7-1 all-time vs. PRC.

And, in Class 7A, it’s much of the same.

For what seems to be like the 54th straight year, Biloxi travels to Oak Grove to open the postseason.

Actually, it marks the fourth consecutive year and fifth in six seasons that the two teams will be kicking off the state playoffs against one another.

The Warriors never trailed last season, jumping out to a quick and commanding 20-0 first half lead en route to a 34-20 win over the Indians. The decision marked the sixth straight loss all-time for Biloxi to Oak Grove, including four consecutive in the playoffs. The Indians have never beat the Warriors on the gridiron.

Meanwhile, at Greyhound Stadium Friday night, Brandon comes calling on Ocean Springs for the third time in the state playoffs in the past four seasons.

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.