By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

GULFPORT — The last time the Gulfport High football team played in a South State championship game, current Admirals head coach Blake Pennock was a seventh-grader at Byram Middle School in 1999.
But, a win over visiting Petal this week will end that 25-year drought and put Gulfport one more step closer to its first-ever berth in a state championship contest.
The Admirals host the Panthers at historic Milner Stadium in the Class 7A South State semifinals Friday night. The contest is a rematch from an earlier season match-up when Petal nipped home-standing Gulfport 25-24 in week three of the regular season on a last second field goal also at Milner.

The Admirals haven’t lost a game since then, reeling off seven eight straight wins to sit at 9-2. Petal is 8-4, but has lost two out of its past four games.

“I expect a really physical game between two well coached teams,” Pennock said, Wednesday after practice. “Ultimately when you get to this point in the playoffs, your big time players have to play big in these games.”

And that’s exactly what Pennock got last week in a 45-7 thrashing of visiting Northwest Rankin to open the playoffs. Gulfport senior standout running back Cooper Crosby wasted no time in making sure his playing career at GHS would be extended at least another week as he scored three touchdowns in the first 15 minutes to help the home team get out to a quick and commanding 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.

His scoring scampers came from 27, 3 and 47 yards out as he ended the night with 197 yards on the ground.

Defensively, Admiral defensive back Javious Hales recorded not one, but two pick six interception returns for scores in the win.

Meanwhile, Petal dispatched visiting D’Iberville 14-3 last week.

The Warriors reached the red zone four different times in the contest, including three trips inside the 10, yet came away with just three points.

“Our defense played great all night,” Petal head coach Marcus Boyles said. “They’re explosive on offense. Their quarterback can really throw it and they’ve got weapons. We gave up a couple of big passes that got them down there, but our defense bent — and it didn’t break.”

Petal got a 44-yard scoring pass from quarterback Caiden Belton to Drew Moody in the first half, and then Panther running back Acely Brown sealed the deal with a 6-yard touchdown run in the fourth period.
This marks the third meeting between the two teams in just over a year, and its also a postseason rematch after the Panthers nipped the home-standing Admirals 17-14 to open the Class 7A South State playoffs last season.
The Panthers hold a commanding 10-2 advantage in a series that dates back to 2007.

In the earlier meeting this season, Gulfport placekicker Carter Platt pushed a potential game-winning field goal just to the right as the final horn sounded to give PHS its second straight last minute win over home-standing Gulfport.

The Admirals haven’t lost since.
That game was a rematch from the opening round Class 7A South State playoffs match-up from last season, when the Panthers ended the season for Gulfport on a last second field goal that resulted in a 20-17 Petal win in this same venue.
The winner of the game Friday faces either Brandon or Oak Grove in the Class 7A South State finals next week.

Gulfport’s last trip to the third round of the state playoffs came in 1999, with a 24-3 home win over Brandon.