[A Look Ahead] 7 events on tap this week

Six south state prep football championships along with another half-dozen in the north part of the state will be decided the night after Thanksgiving.

And four teams in the “Southern Six” will be amongst those 12 in the south playing for a spot in the state championship round. Black Friday will be enjoyable for some, but it will be blue for others.

Also, there is a plethora of prep hoops holiday action this week as well.

Here are 7 events in the “Southern 6” to keep an eye on this week:

1. Gautier at Picayune (Game of the Week) — The second rematch in the Class 5A South state playoffs in as many weeks involving teams from Region 4-5A takes place at Lee-Triplett Stadium as the Maroon Tide hosts the Gators for the second time in three weeks. Picayune won the previous meeting in an instant classic, 48-42 in overtime. Gautier has never beaten Picayune in 13 all-time meetings This is the second time the teams have faced off in the state playoffs, as the first-ever meeting between the squads came in the opening round of the 2007 postseason and the Marron Tide took a 34-31 win in that one. The game this week is much bigger. This year marks the second straight season that Picayune has hosted three straight playoff games.
2. Brandon at Ocean Springs — The Greyhounds host a Class 6A South State playoff game for the third straight week, a first in school history. Ocean Springs is playing in its third South State championship game, after beating Oak Grove in 2004 and falling to those Warriors in 2009. The Bulldogs are in the Class 6A South State championship game for the third time in four seasons, and BHS lost in the state championship game last year to Madison Central 24-17. Brandon leads the all-time series 4-1 and has won four straight in the series including the last meeting in 2016 45-10. The Greyhounds’ only win over the Bulldogs came in the first meeting ever, a 19-12 decision in the opening round of the 2004 state playoffs. Ocean Springs is 12-0 coming into this one, and Brandon sits 11-1.
3. Mendenhall at Stone — The Class 4A South State championship takes place Friday night at A.L. May Stadium on the campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College as the Tomcats host the Tigers.  Stone High is headed to its third South State championship game in school history, but first since 1991, after registering a major upset in knocking off Poplarville 32-28 at home. The Tomcats rallied from a 28-18 fourth-quarter deficit to pull out the win, and moved to an impressive 9-2 on the season. Head coach John Feaster’s crew began the season with two straight losses, but has won nine straight since then and is also hosting its third consecutive state playoff game this week.
4. Gulfport Basketball — Also, there are at least four Thanksgiving prep basketball tournaments on tap in our coverage area this week beginning on Monday.  In Gulfport, boys’ action on Monday includes Biloxi facing Madison-Ridgeland Academy at 4:30 and the host Admirals meeting the Bay High Tigers in the nightcap at 7:30. A girls game tips off the action in the Gulfport tourney at 3 p.m., Monday with Bay High taking on MRA. The Gulfport Lady Admirals face Blount High of Mobile at 7 p.m. On Tuesday, winners meet winners and the losing teams face one another as well to wrap up play.
5. Picayune Tournament — In Picayune on Monday, the four-game slate kicks off with an all “Southern Six” match-up as the Biloxi Lady Indians take on the St. Martin Lady Yellow Jackets at 3 p.m. The other girls game at 6 p.m., is also a local match-up as the home-standing Lady Tide meets the George County Lady Rebels. In boys’ action at Kelly Wise gym on the Picayune campus Monday, Grace Baptist takes on McComb at 4:30 while the host Maroon Tide faces Grace Christian at 7:30. On Tuesday, winners meet winners and the losing teams face one another as well to wrap up play.
6. Gautier basketball — In Gautier, both Gautier’s boys and girls, D’Iberville’s girls and boys and Long Beach’s boys and girls teams will all be in action as well as the Stone boys and the Florence girls. On Monday, D’Iberville and Florence tip things off with a girls’ game at 3 p.m., followed by the DHS boy and the Stone boys at 4:30. Long Beach and the host Gautier will then face off in a girls’ game at 6 p.m., followed by a boys game at 7:30. On Tuesday, the GHS girls and Florence play at 3, followed by the GHS boys and Stone at 4:30. Play concludes in the event with the DHS girls vs. the LBHS girls at 6 and the DHS boys meeting the LBHS boys at 7:30.
7. Hurricane Holiday —  At West Harrison High School, the first-ever Hurricane Holiday Tournament will feature the WHHS boys along with the boys and girls teams from Ocean Springs as well as the Moss Point girls and the OLA girls. Action tips off each day at Noon. On Monday, Moss Point and Ocean Springs face off in a girls’ game at Noon, followed by the WHHS-OLA girls’ match-up at 1:30. The Northshore (la.) boys play Saraland (al.) at 3 p.m., followed by Ocean Springs boys against Shaw High out of New Orleans at 4:30. The host Hurricanes play Jesuit High out of New Orleans to conclude the first day at 6 p.m. On Tuesday, OLA and MPHS get stuff started at 11 a.m., followed by the Saraland and Shaw boys at 12:30 p.m., and then the OSHS-Hattiesburg girls at 2. The host WHHS girls face Columbia at 3:30, followed by the OSHS boys and Jesuit at 5 p.m. The WHHS boys and Northshore wrap things up at 6:30 p.m.