Who had the best South Mississippi high school football team since 2000?
The sights and sounds of high school football get closer every Monday. Teams across the Coast are preparing with one goal in mind: a state championship.
South Mississippi has produced numerous dominant teams over the years and we’re here to celebrate them before the next great Coast team emerges.
Selected to this poll are 10 teams that made waves not just in the region, but across the state. Picking the 10 best is difficult, so we set up some rules.
Firstly, the team had to at least play in the championship game. We also limit the number of appearances for each school to two teams. We still love and respect you, 2021 and 2013 Picayune.
Noting this, here are some other schools that just missed the cut but were some of the best to touch turf on the Coast:
2004 Ocean Springs
2007 George County
2010 Gulfport
2011 Biloxi
2012 Bay High
2012 Pascagoula
2022 Ocean Springs
2022 Gautier
You can vote as often as you like. The poll closes on July 24 at noon. Here are the nominees:
2000 Moss Point, 13-1
Jerry Alexander had one of the best runs of any head coach in South Mississippi. Alexander’s first team of the new century claimed the 5A title while going undefeated against in-state opponents. The Tigers stomped Clinton in the championship game, 45-15.
2002 D’Iberville, 13-1
Louis Smith’s six seasons in D’Iberville netted him 40 wins, 13 of them coming in the ‘02 season that gave the Warriors their first and only state championship. Those Warriors were one of the most physical team’s that Coast has seen, limiting opponents to just 6.8 points per game.
2007 Moss Point, 12-2
Alexander’s final season in Moss Point saw the Tigers make a run at the 4A state title that came up one touchdown short. That team featured defensive stalwarts Josh Chestang and Willie Packer.
2008 D’Iberville, 14-1
D’Iberville’s last deep run at a title came one game short in ‘08, but the Warriors touted one of the most dominant teams on the Coast and won every regular season game by double digits. That team produced three-time college national champion and NFL player Kevin Norwood.
2009 St. Stanislaus, 14-1
The 4A champions of the state were a prolific threat through the air and a danger to scoreboards everywhere. The Rock-a-Chaws scored at least 40 points eight times and at least 35 in every playoff game, including the 35-16 romp over Lafayette in the championship.
2011 Picayune, 13-2
We chose one Dodd Lee title team and one Cody Stogner team for Picayune. Lee’s ‘11 squad was the first to bring a title to Picayune since 1986 and ended a three-year district title drought. This team relied on a ground attack led by Desmond Taylor, but went to the air with quarterback Benjamin Hickman in the championship game against Starkville.
2015 Resurrection, 13-1
Scott Sisson’s Eagles set a school record for wins and nearly brought home the school’s first championship in ‘15. Resurrection makes the list thanks to a defense that allowed an eye-catching 4.6 points per game. It pitched eight shutouts and didn’t allow a team to reach double digits until the title game.
2017 East Central, 13-1
Just one East Central squad has had the opportunity to play for a title and it was the ‘17 group who did it. This team set school records for points in a season and wins under Seth Smith that season. It also set a school record for points in a single game when it beat South Pike 77-32 in the playoffs. The lone loss came in a 41-35 shootout with Noxubee Central in the 4A championship game.
2018 Poplarville, 13-2
Four different Poplarville teams have played for a title under Jay Beech. While all have come short, the ‘18 squad was a force to be reckoned with. This team scored more points than any other PHS team and allowed only 9.6 points per district game.
2022 Picayune, 15-0
The most recent version of the Maroon Tide became the first Coast school to win 15 games in a season. Led by Dante Dowdell and a loaded defense, Picayune won 14 of its games by double digits and did not allow two touchdowns in a single game until week 10.
