(An analysis)

By Curtis Rockwell/Sports Director

A little over four months ago, Gulfport High became the first “Southern Six” football team to bring a state football championship back home in the largest classification in the state in 25 years.
While it hasn’t been quite that long just yet in prep baseball, the span is getting a little longer by the season.
The last baseball championship won by a “Southern Six” squad in the largest classification in the state came 18 years ago, when Ocean Springs captured the then Class 5A state title.

Then, for 15 years after the MHSAA expanded to six classes, no team from the Gulf Coast area was able to take the largest crown, even though several finished second like George County and Gulfport (twice).
Also, in the short two years so far since a Class 7A was established, the drought continued.
The reality of it is, is that only two teams in the past 30 years from the “Southern Six” have won state baseball championships in the largest classification of play, starting with Pascagoula in 1996.
So, will baseball follow football’s route and end this streak this season?

If so, it will be up to one of either Ocean Springs, St. Martin, Gulfport or D’Iberville to do it.
The Class 7A South State playoffs get started Thursday night with all four of those teams in action. The Greyhounds are facing Petal, while the Yellow Jackets take on Brandon. The Admirals meet Oak Grove and the Warriors match-up with Northwest Rankin.
Ocean Springs and St. Martin, the one and two seeds, respectively, from Region 4-7A, open postseason play at home, while GHS and DHS hit the road in game one.

Game sites are reversed for all four series on Friday in game two action for each series. Most of the four series will play a third and final game, if needed, Monday night.

The Greyhounds are looking to snap that 16 year drought. In fact, the four Region 3-7A squads that the Greyhounds, the Yellow Jackets, the Admirals and the Warriors take on this week have combined for six state championships and each team has won a state title in the past 15 seasons.

Will this be the year that history is achieved both on the gridiron as well as on the diamond in the span of less that six months?

Stand by…

We here at SouthMiss6 Sports will be here to take you along for the ride all the way to Trustmark Park in Pearl once again.