By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

ST. MARTIN — One of the biggest regular season games in the history of St. Martin football is this week’s “Smith Group Realty Homefield Advantage” Game of the Week for SouthMiss6 Sports.

Each week during the prep football season, SouthMiss6 Sports will feature a “GOTW” sponsored by The Smith Group Realty, your “Homefield Advantage” for buying and selling real estate in South Mississippi.

The Gulfport-St.Martin showdown this week shapes up to be something it basically never has been in the 33-year history of this series, an important game in region play. The defending Class 7A state champion Admirals are 4-1 overall, but more importantly, 1-0 in Region 4-7A action after knocking off Ocean Springs last week. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets are 6-0 for the first time in the 68-year history of the football program and also lead the region race at 2-0 after smacking Biloxi around last week.

The Admirals have won 16 straight games in this series that were actually played, including 40-0, 42-7 and 42-6 the last three years and 41-7 five years ago. Gulfport owns a commanding 19-1 overall lead in the all-time series in games played.

The only St. Martin win on the field came in 2003, although GHS forfeited a game to SMHS in the Covid season of 2020.

St. Martin has qualified for the state football playoffs just four times ever, and has never won a playoff game. This marks the biggest regular season game for the Yellow Jackets since the regular season finale in 2018, when SMHS went on the road to knock off arch-rival D’Iberville and capture their fourth and to date last playoff berth.

After winning its first state championship since a state-wide playoff system was in the state of Mississippi last season, the Gulfport High football team is approaching yet another milestone this month.

This Gulfport team is currently in the midst of one of the most successful streaks in program history.

In the past 76 years, or the “modern era” of prep sports in the state of Mississippi, the current Admirals squad is entering some rarefied air after winning 15 of its past 16 games after Friday night’s 42-3 thumping of visiting Ocean Springs in the Region 4-7A opener for the Admirals.

The current streak is the best in program history since a 14-1 span that stretched from the beginning of an 11-1 season in 1977 through a 3-0 start to the 1978 campaign.

After that loss in week four in 1978, the Admirals proceeded to win four more games to expand that streak to 18-1.

That successful span is one better than the solid 17-1 stretch from the end of the 1971 season to the first two weeks of the 1973 season, which was produced by the then Gulfport Commodores.

Led by a team passionate about providing clients with a positive, personalized real estate experience, The Smith Group Realty brings years of knowledge, experience, and dedication to helping families and individuals find their perfect home

“At the Smith Realty group, we believe buying or selling a house should be a positive, personal experience. With knowledge, compassion and dedication, we’re here to guide you ever step of the way, helping you to feel right at home every step of the way.

You always have the Homefield Advantage with The Smith Realty Group!”