Mississippi Coast high school football playoff schedule and scenarios as postseason begins

Scott Watkins
·3 min read

The high school football playoffs have arrived on the Coast. First round matchups take place for 1A through 4A this Friday while the rest of the state wraps up the regular season on Thursday.

There’s a region champ for each district on the Coast — outside of Region 4-5A — and there is still home field advantage and a few final playoff spots to battle for.

Here’s the schedule for 1A through 4A, as well as how the playoff race shakes up for the highest three classifications with one game left.

Playoff schedule

All first round playoff games to be played Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.

1A first round

  • No. 1 Resurrection vs No. 4 French Camp

3A first round

  • No. 1 St. Stanislaus vs No. 4 Crystal Springs

4A first round

  • No. 1 Poplarville vs No. 4 Lanier

  • No. 2 Pass Christian vs No. 3 Richland

  • No. 4 Bay High at No. 1 McComb

5A-7A playoff race

7A

Ocean Springs clinched its third district title in a row last Friday when it took down Gulfport and locked down a top seed in the process.

The other three spots are very much up in the air. Gulfport has clinched a playoff birth, but must beat Harrison Central to host a first round game. Biloxi can cinch its first postseason appearance since 2020 by beating D’Iberville, but the Warriors can force a potential three-way tie for the final two spots by beating the Indians.

Point differential between wins would then decide which one of Biloxi, Harrison Central and D’Iberville gets left home in that scenario.

In the case of the Red Rebels beating Gulfport, then the Indians-Warriors rivalry would decide the final playoff spot.

6A

Picayune is region champs for the third year in a row and for the fourth time in five seasons. The other three spots out of Region 4-6A are also reserved, but who will be sitting in the middle seats has yet to be determined.

George County, Pascagoula and Hancock have all earned a playoff bid. The Rebels and Panthers meet on Thursday in Pascagoula and the winner earns a home crowd in the first round. The loser will slot in at No. 3 while the Hawks are already locked in as the fourth seed.

5A

Region 4-5A is the only district on the Coast without a champion. That matter will be settled when Gautier travels to face Laurel in the region title game. The second host seed will not be occupied by a Coast team if the Gators win that game.

A Laurel loss and a Wayne County loss to Vancleave settles the Golden Tornadoes at No. 2. If Laurel loses and Wayne County beats the Bulldogs, then Wayne County will host as No. 2.

Vancleave, a playoff lock, is in at No. 3 if it beats Wayne County. Cheering for the Bulldogs to do just that will be the Tomcats from Stone. If Wayne County falls and Stone defeats East Central, then the Tomcats sneak in at No. 4.

A Wayne County win would end Stone’s season, regardless of its result in Hurley.