By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PASCAGOULA — A huge Region 4-6A match-up between two boys prep basketball teams with their sights set on making some noise in the upcoming Class 6A state playoffs face off Friday night.

And that makes Pascagoula’s trip to Picayune  this week’s “Vertical Raise Game of the Week” for SouthMiss6 Sports.

Each week during the prep basketball season, SouthMiss6 Sports will feature a “GOTW” sponsored by Vertical Raise, the premier online fundraising platform for athletic teams and associated clubs and supporters of all ages.

This is a rematch between the Panthers and Maroon Tide from two weeks ago in Pascagoula, when the home team took pummeled Piicayune 65-28 in a showdown for first place mid-way through the race in the Region 4-6 standings. Also, the win marked the 300th career victory for veteran PHS head coach Lorenzo Wright, who is in his 10th year at the helm of the Panthers.

In that one, Pascagoula doubled up on the Maroon Tide 16-8 after one quarter of play thanks in large part to five points apiece in the opening frame by Blake Nettles and Ireyion Harvey.

The Panthers then nearly doubled that advantage up by halftime, as Marcus Cooper notched five points, including a 3-pointer, in the second period pushing PHS out to a 31-17 lead at intermission.

And, if Picayune had any thoughts of a second half comeback, the Dandy Dozen senior standout guard Nettles laid those quickly to rest as the second half unfolded, as he registered 12 points in a 26-point third-frame eruption and the Panthers cruised to the win.

Since then, both teams have gone 4-0 in region action. The Panthers come into the rematch at 9-0 in the region race and on the verge of clinching their third straight top seed in the league tournament. Pascagoula is 19-6 overall.

The Maroon Tide is 8-1 in league play and sits in second place, and Picayune is 14-7 overall. This marks the final region game of the season for both teams, and both squads have already secured berths in the upcoming Class 6A South State playoffs.

As the premier online fundraising platform, Vertical Raise utilizes the newest technology through a tested combination of email, text and social media campaigns to maximize the reach of your fundraiser.

Our successes are built upon our best-in-class email deliverability, detailed tracking and the complete personalization of every participant’s page. Combining this proprietary system, with experienced and passionate fundraising coaches has made us the most effective fundraising platform available.

We look forward to partnering with you to elevate your organization to its full potential! Please contact your local fundraising rep Ricky Cunningham at 228-263-4755 for more information.