By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

No other county in the United States may possess as much star power in a one-two punch coming out of the offensive backfield in prep football this year as Pearl River County can boast of.

As we look down the road at the kick off of yet another high school season, it’ll be the legs of a pair of running back from that area that many eyes will be focused on.

The Jackson Clarion Ledger recently took a look at the top returning Mississippi running backs in the Mississippi High School Association for the 2026 season, and both senior standouts Ty Keys of Poplarville and Picayune’s Xavier Dennis were listed.

Keys was named “Class 4A Mr. football” last year, and also led his Hornets to the Class 4A state championship in an injury-filled sophomore season. He returns for his final campaign this year, after recently committing to The University of Miami over offers from Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU and Michigna, along with many others.

Last year, he registered 301 carries for 3,285 rushing yards with 45 touchdowns, which also included an eight-touchdown, 500-plus yard night in a 60-54 win over Hancock.

The four-star, 6-foot-1, 190-pound Keys is ranked the No. 14 running back in the nation according to one service and as one of the top five players in the state for the Class of 2027, according to 247Sports Composite.

“With prayer and family discussion, I’ve chosen my next home. It’s all about the U,” Keys said in his social media post casting his lot with the Hurricanes.

Poplarville ended the 2025 season 8-5 and fell to eventual Class 4A state champion Columbia 20-14 in the Class 4A South State playoffs. The Wildcats, also a Region 7-4A rival of Poplarville’s, finished the season unbeaten at 15-0.

Miami reached the College Football Playoff title game in 2025, eliminating Ole Miss along the way, before falling to Indiana 27-21 in the title tilt.

Meanwhile, about 20 miles or so down I-59 South, in Picayune, Dennis is carrying on a long and storied tradition as a force to be reckoned with in the Maroon Tide backfield.

The versatile and speedy 5-foot-10, 160-pound stalwart produced 275 carries for 2,840 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns last season, averaging 218 rushing yards per game along the way as Picayune went 10-3 and fell in the Class 6A South State championship game to Hattiesburg for the second straight season.

He also had an almost inexplicable performance against Hancock, as he ran for 355 yards and 5 touchdowns, all in the first half alone, including scoring scampers of 80, 97 and 76 yards in a 52-20 thumping of the Hawks in the Class 6A South Stat semifinals.

Dennis also a 94-yard touchdown that was called back due to penalty in that game.

“Once I see all that green grass, I am just thinking, ‘I can not get hawked, I can not let anyone catch me, ‘ said Dennis. “‘That is just embarrassing if I let that happen.”

Dennis is getting overtures from quite a few junior college programs across the state.

Now, he looks to pace Picayune to its sixth straight South State championship contest.

Keys and Dennis will face off with one another this season on Fri., Sept 25th, in Picayune at Lee-Triplett Stadium.