By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director
JACKSON — The Pascagoula boys basketball team carries with it over a century of prep hoops history Thursday night onto the hardwood here at The Mississippi Coliseum.
The Panthers are shooting to become the first group ever in the 104 history of handing out state champions to bring one back to Jackson County. Teams from Jackson County are 0-for-3 in title contests all-time.
Pascagoula faces a familiar foe in Terry at 8 p.m., here at The Big House in the Class 6A state title tilt.
This will be the fifth meeting between the Panthers and the Bulldogs in the past three years, and the two teams have split the previous four meetings.
“We’ve had Terry as long as I can remember,” veteran PHS head coach Lorenzo Wright said. “They do a great job with their team. We’ve played each other the last four years now, so they’re not strangers. They are a well-coached team. They defend well and play hard.”

The Panthers are 27-6 overall and Terry sits at 25-8. It’s the first trip ever to the state title round for the Bulldogs.
Pascagoula reached the championship game for just the second time in school history, and the first time in 49 years, with a thrilling 53-51 overtime win over Jackson Callaway Monday afternoon. Blake Nettles had 12 points to lead Pascagoula, while Adam Griffin and Jacob Griffin each added 11 points for the Panthers.
Terry followed suit with a 63-53 win over Canton. Kamel Wiggins and Quintin Wilson each scored 13 points as the Bulldogs outlasted the Tigers. Jaylan Spruill added 10 points for Terry.

One head coach in the “Southern Six” knows both teams all too well. George County mentor Terry Bradley and his Rebels compete in Region 3-6A with Terry, and GCHS faced Pascagoula twice this season as well, including to open the Class 6A South State playoffs two weeks ago. Bradley’s team also competed in Region 4-6A against PHS for the prior two seasons before changing leagues this year.
“Terry and Pascagoula play a very similar style,” Bradley, whose team was 0-4 this season combined against the two foes, said. “They can both push the ball, and they both can slow it down and run a play.
“Terry has 10 seniors led by Wiggins, Tyler Lyles, and Quinton Wilson. Wilson is one of the most athletic players we played against. He has a high motor, and he does a lot of the dirty work.”
Bradley had high prasie for PHS also.

“Pascagoula doesn’t have as many seniors, but they are led by Class 6A “Mr. Basketball” and Jackson State signee Nettles.” he added. “Nettles is no doubt the most complete player we played against this year. His basketball IQ is unmatched, very strong, and can score at will, but he prefers to pass. And I think a part of Nettles game that goes unnoticed is his ability to rebound.”
Terry came to Pascagoula to open the Class 6A South State playoffs three years ago, just like Bradley and his Rebels did last month. However, the Bulldogs stunned the Panthers that night 48-46.

Pascagoula then beat the Bulldogs in the next two meetings, 59-55 in the first month of the following season and then again last year in the Class 6A South State Quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
But, Terry bounced back with a 62-49 earlier this season in the eighth game of the year for PHS, that dropped the Panthers to 4-4 at that point of the campaign.
However, Wright’s crew is 23-2 since then, and comes into the title tilt on a 17-game win streak. In addition, PHS is a perfect 16-0 since the Griffin twins became eligible at the beginning of January after transferring in from Booker T. Washington High in Pensacola, Fla.

“I told my team back in December, when we played Terry, that we had just played the 6A state Champions,” Bradley, who will be the head coach of the South squad in the annual North/South All-Star Basketball Game next month, continued. “Even though I thought Jim Hill had the best starting five we faced, but Terry had more depth. But with the addition of the Griffin twins to go along with Marcus Cooper, Ireyion Harvey, and Nettles, it has made Pascagoula so much more lethal. The twins are very athletic and can shoot the cover off the ball. Cooper is probably one of the most underrated players in this area, but not by me, and he and Adam Griffin will be playing on the South team in the all star game. Harvey is a lot like Wilson from Terry, he does it all, rebound, defend, and he is also an underrated scorer.”

Bradley expects a tight contest Thursday night
“It should be one of the best games regardless of classification,” he concluded. “I think it comes down to the last three minutes of the fourth quarter. Both teams are very well coached. Coach Wright has been scratching at for the past few years, and finally got over the top. Terry’s coaching staff is made up of three really good former SWAC players. in head coach Chris Parker(Arkansas Pine Bluff) along with Patrick Horton (Alcorn State) and my former teammate at Jackson State Joe Shanks. So there will be some really good coaching and playing from both sides.”