By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

As yet another prep basketball season tips off across the state of Mississippi this week, there’s one question surrounding the action on the girls’ side of the court in the “Southern Six”.

And that is, after two boys’ teams brought home state titles last year, can a girls’ team from the “Southern Six” do the same this year for the first time 13 years?

The last time a “Southern Six’ squad won a girls’ state basketball championship was in 2013, when Bay High won the Class 4A title

Harrison Central fell to Starkville in the Class 7A state finals at The Big House in Jackson last year, and was the last of the girls’ teams standing for a shot to snap that drought.

But, all eyes again will be on the talent-laden Biloxi once again this year to see if the Lady Indians, one of the top teams in the state over the past two seasons, can finally break through to earn that elusive first state girls hoops crown in school history.

Can Biloxi finally break through this time?

We’ll begin to find out all of those answers starting this week.

One of the more notable first week events once again this season takes place in Pass Christian beginning Tuesday afternoon, as the three day Pass Christian Tip-Off Invitational Classic gets under way.

Harrison Central is one of the six girls teams competing in the event, along with the host Lady Pirates as well as West Harrison, Gulfport and Pascagoula.

Tuesday’s third game of the annual affair will be the first girls’ action of the event, and will pit Pass vs. WHHS.

That game will mark the debut of new Lady Pirates head coach Jessica Hayes.

Hayes replaces Caroline Lumpkin, who left PCHS to take over at her alma mater Pearl River Central.

In Region 4-7A, both D’Iberville in Macey Walker and St. Martin in Darryl Warrick also each have new head coaches in place.