By Veto Roley/Sports WriterPASCAGOULA — Hancock quarterback Justin Wedgeworth scored from 2-yards out with 1:49 left in the game to give Hancock a 23-16 win over Pascagoula and the second seed in Region 4-6A in prep football Friday night.
Due to their 42-41 win over Pearl River Central, regardless of how the Hawks do against Long Beach, Hancock (5-4, 3-1) will host a home game November 12th to start the 2026 Playoffs.
“A home playoff game was our goal at the start of the season,” said Hancock head coach Michael King. “We haven’t had a long playoff game in a long time. It’s a very good thing for the community, worthy of a sell out.”

For Pascagoula (3-6, 1-3), the simplest route to the playoffs is to beat neighboring rival Gautier (5-4, 1-3) in the season-ending rivalry game next week. 
Pascagoula coach Zach Green acknowledged the Panthers still had a chance to play after the end of the regular season, but said Pascagoula was often it’s own worst enemy due to youth and inexperience.
“We’re in the right position to make a play, but we don’t make the play,” Green said, noting he will have around 15 starters returning next year. “We’ve got to get back to work.”
The story of Friday night’s game was Pascagoula’s inability to get off the field has Hancock grinded out 26 first downs despite only three runs and five pass plays for over 10 yards. The Hawks’ two longest plays were a Wedgeworth 25 yard scramble to set up Hancock’s first score of the night, a 5 yard pass from Wedgeworth to Aspen Farve with 5:04 in the first quarter, and a 20-yard scoring pass to Farve on the last play of the first half to make the score 14-7.

Hancock converted 15-of-20 third downs and three-of-four fourth downs, punting only twice on the night.
“Coach Green had an awesome scheme tonight with three high safeties,” King said, saying the scheme forced the Hawks to dump and dink the ball all night long. Wedgeworth finished hitting 28-of-42 passes, but for only 166 yards.
“And we had enough of a running game to keep the ball moving,” King added. Wedgeworth led the Hawks on the ground with 87 yards and a score on 16 carries. Majia Talley added 63 yards on 13 carries as Hancock finished with 174 yards on the ground. Talley also had five catches for 25 yards.
With the scored tied at 16-16 and 8:53 showing on the clock, Wedgeworth went to work from his own 40. The final Hawks drive featured two third down conversions and runs of 11 and 13 yards from Talley, the second taking the ball to the Panthers 1. After a false start, the Hawks punched it in on Wedgeworth’s 2 yard run.

Behind juniors Jason Glaude and Keelan Harper, Pascagoula managed to keep the game close with Glaude connecting with Harper on throwing plays of 29 and 69 yards. Miles Spraque’s 27-yard field goal with 1:01 left in the third quarter giving Pascagoula a 16-14 lead.
Wedgeworth would lead the Hancock comeback despite throwing two picks, both to Kevin Marshall, the second which ended a Hawks drive and gave Pascagoula the ball on their own 3. The Hawks defense, however, would swarm Pascagoula runningback Sean Norvel on the first play after the second interception and while Norvel broke free of the first two tacklers, the disruption allowed most of the Hancock defense to gather around Norvel two yards deep in the endzone and bring him down for a safety.

“That was the key play of the game,” Green said, “That and the [20-yard scoring] pass just before the half. “We do really good and then we find a way to fail. That’s on me.”
Glaude finished 13-of-21 for 237 yards, two scores, and an interception. He led the Panthers’ ground game with 49 yards on 10 carries. Norvel finished with 39 yards on six carries on the ground. Harper had 111 yards on five catches.
Wedgeworth completed passes to eight receivers. Farve caught nine passes for 66 yards and two scores.