25 Teams in 25 Days: Moss Point Tigers

Although Moss Point may be the last stop of News 25’s 25 Teams in 25 Days, the reigning district champion is certainly not the least.

- - although moss point may be the- last stop of news 25's 25 - teams in 25 days, the reigning- district champion is- certainly not the least.- - - - coming off their eighth straigh- trip to the playoffs, the - tigers-- led by one of the most- explosive offenses in all - of south mississippi-- is - looking to achieve even - more this season.

- here's news 25's jeff haeger, - one last time, right off the- water on- beardslee lake.

- - 25 teams in 25 days... brought- to you by gulf coast business - furniture and supply... your- source for covid-19 supplies an- all of your sanitation needs.

- nat ---> generic football - practice noise- - - - "a lot of the old heads, they don't let us forget that we - haven't won in a long time.

The- don't care nothing about the- district championship.

They - don't care nothing- about that.

They want state.

So- they all come back saying hey - - - - man, you haven't done anything- yet.

All them offers don't mean- anything.

You've got to go get- that gold - ball."

Football isn't played with the- past... but the moss point- program sure is built on it.- five state championships -- the- most of any school, on the- gulf coast -- starting in - 1983... then '91... - back-to-back, in '96-'97... - and finally... 2000.- but that was 20 years ago...- "each state championship got their team picture up on the- wall in the weight- room, and since day 1 i walked- in there and i was like dang, - that's an empty spot waiting- on us to come in and put our- team picture up there."

That spot stayed empty, in- 20-19... despite moss point's - run back- to the post-season, for the - eighth year in a row... on the- back of winning its first - district title... since 2009.

- the tigers would go on to win - their first playoff game, - since 20-15... in the form of a- 24- 23 nail-biter... over stone- - - - "i just remember that it was a close game, and we were battlin- all night and we came - up with the 'w' and we were - excited to go to the playoffs - round two."

- - - "i just remember running out onto the field on that last pla- like man, we got one.

- we got one.

Everybody in the- stands was going crazy.

The - sidelines - were going crazy.

I just- remember thinking, we got one.- the locker room just- turned up afterwards, just up i- there with your brothers having- - - - the best time of your life and- i'm ready to feel that feeling- again."

That feeling was short-lived...- by virtue of a seven-point loss- at newton county, the following- week.

- overall... the tigers finished- just 4-7... although four - of those losses did come agains- 5 and 6-a schools... in the - non-district portion of the - schedule.

- - - - "i just believe in tough competition.

Coming from- southern miss, we always- believed in - playing anyone, anywhere, - anytime.

Now that mentality has- always stuck with - me.

It doesn't matter who we're- playing.

We've still got to go- out there and compete."

Moss point was un-able to aveng- one of those losses, in - - - - we've still got to go out there- and compete."

Moss point was un-able to avenge one of those- losses, in- last week's jamboree at rival - pascagoula... also the 82nd - rendition, of the battle of the- cats... ending in a 10-6- halftime defeat.- "yeah, it was kind of weird because we only got to play two- quarters, so it was kind of - weird.

But they came out on - top."

"playing two quarters and it wa 10-6, we wanted to play the - whole game.

So it's like if we- ended on 10-6, it's not a great- feeling knowing that we lost to- - - - our biggest rival."

Chances are... friday's - six-point showing will be a - season-low, on- the scoreboard... as long as- senior quarterback- deuce lee ii... and un-committe- four-star wide receiver larry - simmons... have something to sa- about it.

In fact... the tigers- return two 1,000-yard receivers- in- simmons and trell millender...- setting the stage, for a- weekly fireworks display... off- beardslee lake.

- "yeah, we're going to be able t do a lot on the field.

Offense,- i know the pass game- - - - is going to be there.

Everythin- is going to be there for us, so- i feel like we've got a lot - coming."

"i know we're going to be a problem.

I know we're going to- be a problem.

I mean i- - - - don't want to overhype us - either.

Knock on wood.

But i- know we're going to be a- problem.

I mean we've just got- too many weapons.

Just too many- ways we - can hurt you.

I know we're goin- to be a problem."

The tigers certainly aren't - lacking confidence, - heading into the new campaign..- and why should they... returnin- 12 seniors... and 16 combined - starters, on both sides of the- ball.

- now on the eve, of the 20-20- high school football season...- the - writing... is on the wall.- "any time anybody is screwing u man, we just point at that wall- we just say man, look - at that wall man, we've got a - spot right there.

A spot right- there with our picture- on it, with our name on it.

So- we've got to go out there and - - - - dominate every practice.

We've- got to dominate every workout,- like we want to go get that spo- on- the wall."

- the tigers re-scheduled two - games and dropped two - games as a result of covid- 19.- moss point will not play- pascagoula nor st.

Martin this- season... and have replaced - varnado and lakeshore out of- louisiana with... gautier at- home on september 11th... and - stone on the road on- september 25th... respectively.- tomorrow at 7 p-m, moss point - kicks off its season... at home-