By SAM STAFF/Sports Writer

STARKVILLE — When Gulfport faced Tupelo in the Class 7A state championship game here Saturday night, the final prep football game of the season featured five players who are bound for the Southeastern Conference next season.
That marks one of the top totals for any championship game in the state of Mississippi in the past 40 years.
Gulfport senior standout tailback Cooper Cosby signed with Mississippi State Wednesday on National Signing Day.
Crosby came into Saturday’s state title tilt having rushed for 1,631 yards on 243 carries with 32 touchdowns. He has added 609 yards receiving out of the backfield with seven more scores on 43 catches for a total of over 2,200 yards of total offense and an almost inexplicable 39 touchdowns overall.

Crosby has rushed for more than 100 yards this season eight times in Gulfport’s 13 games, and has guided the Admirals to 10 straight wins and a school record 11 wins with just two losses.
And those stats come despite just about every opponent loading up in the box and keying on Crosby and the Gulfport ground attack.

Meanwhile, Tupelo High School was a bee hive of activity on Wednesday as well, as four Golden Wave stalwarts put pen to paper to in deals as well.
Running back J.J. Hill, the two-time and reigning “Class 7A Mr. Football”, will be a future teammate of Crosby’s at Mississippi State.

Hill, the two-time Class 7A Mr. Football, has been an unstoppable force the last two seasons. he came into the weekend with 1,705 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns.

“I grew up a Dawg, so my dream was always to play at Mississippi State,” Hill told the Northeast daily Journal. “Once coach (Jeff) Lebby first got there, he’d been on me harder since he got the job.”
Two Tupelo players are headed to Ole Miss in quarterback Braylen Williams and defensive back Iverson McCoy. Rounding out the quartet is defensive lineman JaReylan McCoy, who signed with the Florida Gators.

“It’s just awesome,” Tupelo head coach Ty Hardin said. “It’s a testament to the program, a testament to these kids and their parents. I tell people all the time, I’m blessed to be the head coach here and I’m spoiled.”
Williams has been Tupelo’s starting quarterback this year, but he’s set to transition to defensive back in college. Williams missed almost all of last season fighting for eligibility after transferring from Nettleton, but he played in the secondary when eligible. He came down with an interception in last year’s title game when Tupleo won the Class 7A title with a win over Brandon.
McCoy is a versatile defensive back has five interceptions on the year and is third on the team in tackles.
JaReylan McCoy leads Tupelo in sacks (eight) and tackles-for-loss (17) coming into the weekend.

In addition, Tupelo 6-foot-3, 235-pound junior linebacker Devontray Brewer has a vertible plethora of SEC offers curently.