By Curtis Rockwell/Sports Director

LUCEDALE — In the 25 years that separated Brandon Davis’ graduation from George County High in 1997 and the start of the 2022 prep baseball season in South Mississippi, the Rebels and Pearl River Central rarely, if ever, met in the state playoffs.

Now, the two old and familar foes are about to face off for the fifth straight year in the postseason, and for the third consecutive season in the Class 6A South State Championship series.

And that makes game one of this best-of-three match-up in Lucedale 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.

George County, the Region 3-6A champ, is 23-9 overall this season after winning the past Region 4-6A titles the past two campaigns. However, PRC, now at a solid 27-6 overall, is now the Region 4-6A top seed after taking the title in Region 3-6A the past two seasons.

The two teams swapped regions over the Summer during bi-annual reclassification by the MHSAA.

“They can score offensively and the top of their lineup are really good hitters and the bottom finds a way to get on and score,” Davis, now in his 15th season leading his alma mater, said. “This must be two pretty good teams if we keep meeting like this. It’s become a pretty good playoff rivalry.”

In this round, the Blue Devils will be looking for some revenge after George County has sent them packing the last two years in the same round. The Rebels went on to win the 2024 Class 6A state title, before falling to Saltillo in the finals last year.

Game one is still set for Saturday as of now, and games two and three if needed would be played Monday and Tuesday.

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.