By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

STARKVILLE — Gulfport’s 1-2 start to a season that eventually ended with a state title isn’t the first time a “Southern Six” pulled off that feat in the largest classification in the state.

In 1991, 34 years ago, Moss Point did the same thing.

The Tigers began that season at 1-2 as well, and then reeled off 1 straight wins as well to take the Class 5A state championship.

Moss Point won the state title on Fri., Dec 6th 1991 at Robinson-Hale Stadium in Clinton on the campus of Mississippi College with a 42-21 win over Tupelo.

This season, the Admirals started the season off at 1-2 before also reeling off 11 consecutive wins and winning the Class 7A state crown exactly 34 years later over, guess who?

Yes, Tupelo, 21-20 in stunning fashion, exactly 34 years to the day after Moss Point pulled off the same feat.

No Repeat

Tupelo went on to rebound from that thumping by Moss Point back then

by returning to the state title round the next season in 1992 and winning its first state football championship with a 13-0 win over Hattiesburg.

This season, after going 14-0 last season and winning the state title for the second time in program history, Tupelo came up a play short of back-to-back state titles for the first time in school history.

Ground Game

Even though the biggest play of the game was a touchdown pass with no time left on the clock, Saturday nights Class 7A state championship match-up was, as anticipated, a battle of a pair of potent ground attacks.

Gulfport out-gained Tupelo 376-266 in total yardage, thanks in large part to 167 yards rushing and two scoring runs by Mississippi State signee Cooper Crosby, who earned Most Valuable Player honors in the game.

Golden Wave running back J.J. Hill, the two-time and reigning “Class 7A Mr. Football” in the state, finished the game with 133 rushing yards and two touchdowns in his last game for Tupelo.

Hill is also an MSU signee, as both he and Cooper plied their trade on the playing field of their future here at Davis-Wade Stadium Saturday night in the last prep football game in the state this year.

Air Raid

In addition to connecting with wide-out Mylan Stubbs as time ran out on a 34-yard “Hail Mary” scoring strike on the biggest play in Gulfport football program history, GHS quarterback Parker Nettles made his mark on the historic win all night long as well.

Nettles threw for 228 yards and the one touchdown. Comparatively, Tupelo had just 43 yards passing.

Nettles transferred in from Silliman (La.) Institute High before the season started and certainly made a difference throughout the campaign for GHS.

By the Numbers:

Javious Hales led the Gulfport receiving corps with 106 yards.

Stubbs had three catches for 57 yards.

Defensively, Deandre Williams recorded a game-high 11 tackles for Gulfport.