FRIDAY SHOWCASE - PLAYOFF WK 1 9PM

- welcome to the playoffs, here o- the news 25 friday night- showcase... airing for the- second time this week, due to - hurricane zeta... alongside - grace boyles... i'm jeff- haeger... and - we're both ready for the win or- go home... portion of the - season.

- that's how it goes on the first- friday in novemeber... with - seven coast teams starting thei- run at a gold ball- tonight and one of them... is - hosting the news 25 game of - the week.

- yeah, grace... moss point livin- up to the hype once district- play rolled around... earning - the tigers the top seed...- coming out of region 8 class- 4-a.- the tigers actually ran the - table, in region 8... on their- way - to back-to-back district- crowns... now hosting - lawrence county... in the first- round.- but the cougars moving the ball- at will, on the opening drive o- the game... kannon cato setting- up his blockers... and- bouncing it out to the home - sideline... for the second firs- down of the drive... marco- booker making sure he gets the- grass.- tigers trying to make a goal- line stand... and it looks like- they- have tae cole bottled up... but- reaches the ball across the - plane... and has it knocked - loose... but the official - signals for a - touchdown... before he- fumbles... booker can't believe- it... - moss point down 6-nothing early- but the tigers would respond...- deuce lee ii going for it all,- on the- first play of the drive... and- he's got his favorite target...- trell - millender... third in the state- in receiving yards... but just - tad - too far, on the throw.- a few plays later... fourth dow- tigers... and they don't- even hesitate... lee locks onto- his four-star receiver... and - larry simmons delivers... both- of these receivers top 10 - in the state... in yards and- touchdowns.

- but lee still likes to spread i- around... this time... hooking- up- with markis hawthorne... and- that's what happens when- you play soft coverage on these- guys... first down moss - point.- and the tigers averaging 36 - points per game... so this- touchdown just felt - inevitable... la-darrius- matthews- running the wheel route... and- lee putting the touch in- touchdown... beautiful pitch an- catch... right into your living- room... tigers go up, 7-6.- but things not looking all that- great, in the fourth- quarter... moss point - trailing... 20-13.- - the other number one seed from- the gulf coast coming - out of region 7 class 4-a:- reigning south state champion - poplarville... hosting florence- in the first round of - playoffs.

- 1.

First quarter... florence- starts with the ball, however - the - eagles don't keep it for long..- hornets corner back - jamaya henry intercepts - quarterback kade may.

- 2.

Poplarville takes over...- still first quarter..

- quarterback nate anderson hands- it off in the backfield - and running back d.j.

Richardbe- rips through the eagles - defense...- tip-toeing on the sideline all- the way tpo the endzone.- hornets miss the extra point...- however poplarville gets- on the board first, 6 - nothing- 3.

Halfway through the first...- anderson to richardbey- again... this time richardbey - runs up the gut for another t-d- hornets add to their lead, 13 -- zip.- 4.

Later in the first... eagles- get their offense rolling - with this rocket to receiver- gary anthony who looks to have - clear shot at the endzone,- putting some hornets on notice- until he's- taken down deep in poplarville- territory.- 5.

The eagles drive comes to a- quick end, however, when- may's touchdown pass is - intercepted by henry again.

- henry runs the pick back about- 10 yards until he's run out of- bounds.

Check this out, jeff.

- henry lost a shoe on the play - - - - and kept going.

Don't worry he- got it back.- 6.

First play of the second - - - - quarter... on hornets on their- own 10 yard line.

Anderson dump- it off to runningback - gregory swann who shows off his- wheels as he flys by all- eagles defenders and takes it t- the house.- poplarville up by 3 touchdowns- now, 20 - zero.

- 7.

Later in the second... - anderson drops this one in the- basket for henry who gets the 5- yard plus touchdown for - the hornets.

Lead extended to 2- - nothing.- 8.

Under 5 minutes left in the- - - - half... this time the eagles- strike back.

Anthony in at- quarterback.

He hands it off to- runningback oakland lewis.... - get on the board.

Hornets - - - - still up 27 - 7.- 9.

Another richardbey touchdown- up 34 - 7.- - - - in the second half, poplarville- nearly the hornets fly away - - - - with the win- - not everybody kicking off - post-season play, tonight...- with a lot still to be- decided... in the 6-a, 5-a, 1-a- classifications.- the big game that jumps to mind- - - - is another one featuring- harrison central... with the- chance to claim a first - round home game... after an - emotional loss to district- champion d'iberville last week.- but ocean springs is gonna have- a lot to say about that... with- the greyhounds currently holdin- down the second - seed... in region 4 class 6-a.- ocean springs a game up on- harrison central, in the- standings... but the- head-to-head tie-breaker... wil- give the- second seed... to whoever wins- this game.- we pick it up second quarter...- and due to the- nature of when i got to - greyhound stadium... this is- the only ocean springs highligh- we got... but it's a- big one... bray hubbard pulling- back the read option... - definitely the right read... an- - - - the southern miss baseball- commit is a "g" plus one... that's gone... touchdown- greyhounds ties the game, at 14- all... glad to see him back - healthy.- ensuing harrison central- possession... death by 1,000- cuts... as the red rebels - convert a big third down here..- christian - turner and kaveon tatum getting- it done.- now grace... of all the players- on the gulf coast... the- hardest one might be this guy..- atavian ray... heard he's a - - - - beast of powerlifter as well.

- later... fourth and six, for th- red rebels... but this is just- another one of those cuts... as- turner scrambles past - the sticks... heads up play by- the sophomore... just bleeding- down that first half clock.

- and did i mention the guy that'- really hard to tackle... watch- this... woop... woop... two - - - - missed tackles... and that's- another big time run, by the- 5'5" sophomore.

Now we've gotta check in with - jacobi moore... mississippi - state - commit... already with two- touchdowns, in the first half..- and showing up again here... bi- catch across the middle to keep- this drive alive.

- and yet... another fourth down,- for harrison- central... and this is cut- number 1,000... turner doing it- again with his legs... at the - pylon... touchdown red- rebels... with less than a- minute to go, in the first- half... - huge momentum swing... as they- go into the half... leading - 21-14.- and that might've been the game- winning play... before they - knew it was the game-winning- play... harrison central hostin- next week... 35-28 final.

- - - stay with us, gulf coast.

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