By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

POPLARVILLE — Poplarville has all the pieces in place to make yet another legitimate run towards a Class 4A state football championship this season.

In fact, this may just be the most talented and experienced Hornet squad in veteran head coach Jay Beech’s 13-year tenure leading PHS, including the 2024 state championship unit.

Poplarville has 25 seniors, including two of the most highly sought after college prospects in the South, as it heads toward a season-opening road trip to West Harrison on Fri., Aug. 28th.

“We have a large senior class with lots of talent and experience and we’ve been working hard to get ready for this season,” Beech said, in a recent interview. “But we’re just taking it day by day. We’re not trying to look forward or look ahead. We’re not trying to even think about a state championship or anything like that. Just don’t put any pressure on yourself. The only pressure you need to put on yourself is the amount of effort you give forth every play and that should be the only pressure there needs to be.”

Beech, who is now the dean of head football coaches in the “Southern Six” after the retirement of Pascagoula’s Lewis Sims, has led his Hornets to the state playoffs in every season he has been the head coach. Last year, though, Poplarville went just 8-5 overall but did manage to earn a trip to the Class 4A South State title tilt for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons.

Poplarville ended the 2025 season falling 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, and in doing so beat the Hornets twice in a four week span.

“At times I didn’t think we played our best, especially in the regular season,” Beech, whose team finished second in Region 8-4A with a mediocre 5-4 mark in regular season action, said. “This year we are focusing on paying more attention to details, the smaller things, even more.”

And PHS will be doing that with a pair of big time prospects which will require much attention from opposing foes.

Running back Ty Keys is back for his senior season after already accomplishing just about everything one player can in a high school career.

One of the top returning high school running backs in the South, Keys has already etched his name in the Poplarville High record books before he even steps foot on the gridiron for his final campaign in a Hornet uniform.

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 in which he was named Most Valuable Player in the title game.

He returns for his senior season, after recently committing to The University of Miami over offers from Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU and Michigan, along with many others. He got over 30 scholarship offers.

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 consensus four-star standout 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.

Keys will be looking to returning starting quarterback Trac Smith to hand him the ball and complete a pass or two along the way. Smith has been known to take off with the ball at times as well when needed.

The Hornets return 10-of-11 starters offensively. Up front, center Jackson Moss, also a senior, leads the way.

Running back Remy Naquin will also get his share of carries. Also, a pair of sophomores in versatile athlete Kaden Bradford and quarterback Ryzan Gamber could make some noise on that side of the ball as well.

Defensively, lineman Sam LeJeune will demand a lot of attention on the field just as he has off the field for over a year now.

Rated as a four-star defensive lineman for the Hornets entering his final campaign, the powerful 6-foot-3, 280-pound LeJeune committed to Florida State recently.

He produced 58 tackles, seven sacks, 22 tackles for loss, five blocked field goals and five pass breakups and an interception, which he returned for a touchdown.

He chose the Seminoles over fellow finalists Auburn, Cal, and Washington, who were among close to 30 programs chasing his services.

He’ll be joined up front by massive fellow lineman Jobe Lambert. Another senior, the 6-foot-2, 300-pounder is also a state champ powerlifter and last year he had 119 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, with 1.5 sacks with 1 pass deflection and 1 blocked field goal.

Under Beech, Poplarville has become one of the most successful Class 4A teams in the state. This season shouldn’t be any different.