SOUTH MISS 6 SPORTS

September 24, 2026

Prep Football: Goula’s Green returns to Gulfport this week as Admirals host Panthers

Pascagoula quarterback Jason Glaude leads his Panthers up against Gulfport this week. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)

By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

GULFPORT — Zach Green has been a part of about 50 Gulfport High football games over the past 10 years or so.

But Friday night will be the first time he faces the Admirals from across the field as a head coach on the other sidelines.

Green, in his first-year as head coach at Pascagoula High, leads his Panthers into this Port City as both teams wrap up the non-region portion of their respective schedule this week.

Gulfport head coach Blake Pennock and his Admirals host Pascagoula this week. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)

Pascagoula head coach Zach Green returns to his old stomping grounds to face Gulfport this week. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)

Defending Class 7A state champion Gulfport comes in at 3-1, after having its program record 13 game win streak snapped last week with an exciting 40-39 loss on the road at Petal.

Meanwhile, Green’s Panthers sit at an even 2-2 and have lost two straight games.

“It’s gonna be a challenge for us for sure,” Green said, in a recent interview. “I ‘m excited about the opportunity; not only of playing them but of going back over there and seeing all of those guys that I worked with and coached last year.”

After a solid 2-0 start to the Green era, Pascagoula lost to Ocean Springs and is coming off of a 24-0 shutout at home at the hands of D’Iberville. The game against Gulfport marks the end of a four game stretch for PHS facing all four Region 4-7A squads that qualified for the state playoffs from that league last year.

Pascagoula running back Sean Norvel leads his Panthers up against Gulfport this week. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)

Gulfport running back Amijai Frederick leads his Admirals up against Pascagoula this week. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)

“I knew what the schedule was, we knew what we were facing.” Green added. ” Right now, Gulfport is the football standard in Misssissippi. But we’re not gonna back down.”

Ready or not though, most of the unit that Green led to the Class 7A state title last year returned this year for a second shot at hardware.

“They’re really good on defense. They returned eight starters from last years team,” Green concluded. “They got some really good football players on that side of the ball.”

This is the 101st all-time meeting between the Panthers and the Admirals on the gridiron, and the Admirals have won five straight in the series, and seven out of the past eight. Gulfport leads the all-time series handily at 60-37-3, and this marks the second five game win streak all-time in the annual affair for GHS.

After this week, Gulfport remains at home to open Region 4-7A play against Ocean Springs while Pascagoula remains on the road with a trip to face perennial state power Picayune to begin Region 4-6A action.