By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

Once again, Region 3 got the best of Region 4 in the opening round of the state prep football playoffs in the largest classification in the state.
Only Gulfport survived and advanced Friday night, while Ocean Springs, D’Iberville and Biloxi all saw their respective seasons come to an end.
And while the fourth straight loss in the past four seasons by the Indians on the road at Oak Grove was no surprise, D’Iberville pretty much held its on in a 14-3 loss at Petal but the Warriors still came up short.

The 52-20 loss for Biloxi marked the seventh straight loss all-time for Biloxi to Oak Grove, including five consecutive in the playoffs. The Indians have never beat the Warriors on the gridiron.
The loss was the ninth straight in the playoffs for BHS, dating back to 2011. The Indians are 1-11 in their last 12 postseason outings over the past 23 years, since 2001.
Biloxi is 0-4 all-time in the second round of the state playoffs and the Indians have never advanced to the third round.
D’iberville last advanced to the second round in the Covid influenced campaign of 2020. Since moving into the largest classification before the 2011 season, DHS has advanced to the second round just three times (also in 2012 & 2014) and has also never moved into the third round.

Excluding the Covid season of 2020, when Harrison Central also joined D’Iberville in moving on to the second round, only twice in the past 18 years have multiple Region 3 teams won an opening-round state playoff game. Those occurrences came in 2014 when OSHS and D’Iberville did it, and 18 years ago in 2007 when both Ocean Springs and George County pulled off the feat.
Of the four teams representing that league this season, the biggest surprise by far was Brandon knocking off Ocean Springs at home for the third time in four seasons as the Bulldogs upset the Greyhounds 13-10 Friday night in Greyhound Stadium.
“Well, to be honest, I feel like it left a bad taste in all of our mouths.” OSHS third-year head coach Jake Bramlett said. “We had lofty goals as a program that were unfortunately not met, but when it comes down to it only one team gets to end their season that way.”

Ocean Springs came into the game at 9-1, and Brandon, which is on its third head coach in the past 10 months after making another coaching shuffle mid-season, was 5-5 when it headed south Friday afternoon.
“I feel like we had a great regular season with only one slip up, and this senior group led tremendously throughout those 11 weeks.” Bramlett continued. “Then you lose a three-point ball game in the first round of the playoffs to a team that has hands-down the best defense we’ve seen this year. We made the mistakes that you can’t make and still win big playoff games. Mishandling the snap on a punt put them in field goal range to pick up three, a roughing the kicker that did the same and the offense had the ball in the 1-yard line and had a communication mishap that resulted in only a field goal instead of a touchdown. When you do those type of things and playoff games, you won’t survive very long.”

The seniors on this year’s OSHS squad were just heading into their sophomore season when Bramlett was handed the helm of the Greyhounds, and will always hold a special meaning to the Greyhound leader.
“I love this team and this particular group of players, especially with this senior bunch being in the middle of their freshman year when I was hired as head coach. We have been through a lot together,” Bramlett concluded. “All of these guys have a great future ahead of them, whether it’s playing football or moving on to do something else in life. But it is time for the rest of us to start getting ready for next year.”