By Curtis Rockwell/Sports Director

GAUTIER — A showdown between two teams off to pretty solid starts takes place in “The Swamp” in Gautier Friday night.
The host Gators take on unbeaten Greene County in the last game before region play starts for both teams. The Wildcats come in at 4-0,while Gautier sits at 3-1.
Veteran Gators head coach Marc High is impressed by the visitors from Leakesville.

“We’re going to have to be on our ‘Ps and Qs’,” said High. “They don’t make mistakes to beat themselves.”
Greene County is led by an old familar face in “Southern Six” prep football circles. Larry Dolan is in his second-year at the helm of the Wildcats.
Dolan, who left Forrest County AHS after his second stint leading the Aggies to take over at GCHS, Dolan, is in his 26th anniversary as a head football coach in South Mississippi this year. He has plenty of ties to the “Southern Six”, as he also served as the head coach at both D’Iberville and Pearl River Central.
Dolan, who guided FCAHS to its lone state title in 2013, calls his stop at Greene County “the last leg” of his coaching career. Last season, he led GCHS to a 6-4 regular season mark and a berth in the Class 4A South State playoffs as well.
Meanwhile, this will be the final tune-up before Region 4-6A play starts for Gautier. The Gators will enjoy an open date next week,before kicking off league play by heading to Long Beach on Oct. 9th.

Gautier quarterback Keon McNeil helped the Gators jump out to a 3-1 mark to open the season for the first time in four years last week. He threw for three touchdown passes, running back Latrell Pogue ran for two scores, and the defense added another two touchdowns as Gautier raced by Moss Point 47-12 on the road in Dantzler Stadium. McNeil, who had as many incompletions as touchdown passes, connected on 14-of-17 passes for 220 yards. He connected with six different receivers and three different receivers cross the goal line.
He said GHS was looking forward to meeting the Wildcats.
“I’s going to be a great game,” McNeil said. “We’re going to have to have our energy high when we play them.”

This is just the 10th meeting all-time between the two teams on the football field. Gautier leads the all-time series 6-3, but the teams have split the last six meetings going back to the 2001 season.