By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PASCAGOULA — A pair of old region 4-6A foes face off to open the Class 6A South State playoffs over the weekend.

And that makes George County’s trip to Pascagoul Saturday night  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 Rebels from late December, when the two teams met in the consolation contest of the renewal of The Jackson County Christmas Tournament.

Pascagoula dismantled George County at Hubbard Gymnasium on the campus of Ocean Springs High School in that one, 71-41.

The Panthers stand 24-6 overall and just won their third straight Region 4-6A championship late last week and the Rebels are 15-14 overall and wound up as the fourth seed in Region 3-6A.

Pascagoula has won 20 straight games over George County, in a win streak that dates back 15 years to 2009. The Panthers have also won 36 straight Region 4-6A contests.

The game is expected to be a showcase for two of the top guards in the state, in Pascagoula senior standout Blake Nettles and George County junior stalwart L.B. Bradley.

The winner of this game moves on to play either Picayune or Jackson Jim Hill in the Class 6A South State Quarterinal event Wednesday in Polarville on the campus of Pearl River Community College.

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.