By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

One of the best ways for a sportswriter to make a fool out of himself is to try and predict the weekly outcomes of any type of sporting event, but especially high school football games.

Not that I need any help, but here goes…

Have no fear, Rock’s Locks is here again y’all…

Yes, Rock’s Locks is back in South Mississippi for yet another prep football season. Rock’s Locks was a steady feature in several daily newspapers (remember those?) across South Mississippi for much of the past three decades and has been a part of the journalistic fabric of prep football across the “Southern Six” for most of that time frame as well. Each week we will attempt to provide some insight with some prep pigskin prognosticator picks and provide you readers with much material to ridicule me with I am sure.

There has been a lot of talk about Rock’s Locks over the years. But I didn’t care what was said, I decided to try and sometimes make a fool out of myself again this year.

Last week, Rock’s Locks turned in an 10-3 worksheet.

In the words of Neil Young….”You are, like a hurricane, there’s calm in your eyes..”

1. Gulfport at St. Martin (Game of the Week) — One of the biggest regular season games in St. Martin program history, and for perhaps the first time ever this 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. We don’t see that changing…Gulfport 31, St. Martin 17.
2. Pascagoula at Picayune — Two teams struggling a bit so far this season tangle in the Region 4-6A opener at Lee-Triplett Stadxium Friday night. And despite the combined 4-6 overall mark for both of these 2-3 squads, the winner of this game has won the region title the past seven years and the loser has finished as the second seed three times in that span as well.. Granted, Picayune has won six of those crowns, but Pascagoula holds the only league crown that the Maroon Tide didn’t win in 2020. Picayune has won eight out of the past nine meetings in this series and nine out of 11 over the past decade. That trend will continue…Picayune 37, Pascagoula 20.
3. D’Iberville at Ocean Springs — Yet another key encounter in Region 4-7A as the Greyhounds and Warriors meet for the 45th time on the gridiron this week. Ocean Springs has won five straight over DHS, after stopping a five game Warriors’ winning streak in the series in 2021. You couldn’t get much more even than this series over the past decade with OS now up 7-5 over the past 12 meetings. D’Iberville gets a step closer…D’Iberville 42, Ocean Springs 17.
4. Moss Point at Bay High — These two teams are a combined 1-10 between them, but this may be the only contest in the state of Mississippi in which a Class 4A South State playoff berth is on the line this week. Both teams are struggling for a win, as has been the case in recent times. Moss Point is 1-5 and 0-1 in Region 8-4A after a loss at home to Forrest County AHS last week. Bay High is 0-5 overall and this is the first league game of the season for those Tigers. Bay High has also lost 18 straight games. No matter all that, though, this match-up in all likelihood will be a battle for the fourth and final seed in the league standings for playoff purposes. Moss Point has dominated the all-time series at 17-3, but the two teams have split the past four meetings. Man…Moss Point 7, Bay High 6.
5. Taylorsville at Resurrection — The Eagles host the Tarttars in this key Region 8-1A contest. Resurrection needs a win against perennial state power Taylorsville to secure a berth in the upcoming Class 1A South State playoffs, after the Eagles picked win their first win of the season to open league play over Richton last week. The Tartars are 3-0 all-time against the Eagles, but THS has struggled somewhat so far this season at 0-6 so far. Taylorsville 12, Resurrection 8.
6. Pass Christian at Forrest County AHS — A key match-up in the battle for the top spot in Region 8-4A takes place at the Cow Palace in Brooklyn Friday night as the Aggies host the unbeaten Pirates. The two teams sit tied atop the region race at 1-0 after wins last week, and the winner of this one will take a major step towards securing homefield advantage in the opening round of the upcoming Class 4A South State playoffs in a month. FCAHS leads the all-time series 9-5 overall, but PCHS has won three of the past four games. This one won’t be close for long…Pass Christian 49, FCAHS 7.
7. Gautier at Long Beach — This series is just a step shy of turning 30 this year, and one that has been completely dominated by the Gators along the way. The Bearcats and Gautier open Region 4-6A play at Lumpkin Stadium Friday night, and Long beach is coming in off a loss to South Jones last week while Gautier had an open date. Gautier leads this all-time affair, that dates back to 1997, 15-3 and the Gators have won six straight and 11-out-of-the last 12 as well. Gautier 36, Long Beach 21.

A Six pack to go:

West Jones 28, George County 10

West Harrison 3, Harrison Central 0

PRC 35, Hancock 30

East Central 7, Purvis 6

Stone 28, Wayne County 27

Northeast Jones 6, Vancleave 3