By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

Just as it started last season, so will it be again this coming season.

Perennial state power Picayune will open the 2026 football season against the same fellow “Southern Six” opponent as it did last year, but instead of it just being Gulfport that comes calling on Friday, Aug. 28th this season it will be the defending Class 7A state champion Admirals that will make that trip to Lee-Triplett Stadium to open the new campaign.

Both team released their new schedules for the upcoming season recently.

The Maroon Tide traveled to historic Milner Stadium last year to open Labor Day Weekend, in what still might be the last ever season-opener for GHS in that grand old venue. Picayune came away with a thrilling 31-28 win in that one, and the Maroon Tide went on to finish 10-3 overall and play in its fifth straight South State championship game.

The Admirals started last season off with two losses in their first three games, before rebounding in fierce fashion to win the rest of their games and capture their first ever state championship with a thrilling 21-20 win over defending state champ Tupelo in the Class 7A state championship game at Mississippi State University’s Davis-Wade Stadium.

So, Gulfport, which finished 12-2 last year, will arrive in Picayune in late August with an 11-game win streak in tow.

The Admirals and fourth year head coach Blake Pennock will face the same slate this season as they did in that historic 2025 campaign, with just the sites of the games reversed.

That won’t quite be the case for Picayune, however.

Head coach Cody Stogner, who guided his alma mater to back-to-back Class 5A state titles in 2021 and 2022, was forced to fill its second playing date after a one year deal with Slidell High expired after the end of last season.

So, instead of traveling about 25 minutes south down 1-59 into Louisiana after hosting GHS in week one, the Maroon Tide will instead head a few hours north to the state capital and travel to face perennial private school state power Jackson Academy on Fri., Sept. 4th.

The contest will mark the first game ever for Picayune against a member of the private school association in the state on the football field.

The Raiders captured the MAIS Div 1-Class 4A state title last season after closing the season on a seven game win streak with a 50-14 thumping of Hartfield Academy in the title tilt of the largest private school classification.

Jackson Academy has won 10 total state titles, including eight this century.