Gulfport Edges D’Iberville to Claim Back-to-Back Region Championships

GULFPORT, Miss. — It was a battle worthy of the hype as Gulfport and D’Iberville squared off for the Class 7A Region 4 championship in a Week 10 showdown Friday night.

The reigning state champion Admirals welcomed the undefeated Warriors with a region title on the line, and both teams delivered an exciting back-and-forth contest.

Gulfport struck first behind quarterback Jackson Wolverton, who capped an opening drive with a rushing touchdown to put the Admirals ahead 7-0.

Wolverton connected with Syniker Taylor on a big downfield completion before finding the end zone himself.

D’Iberville answered with a field goal from Melzer Villela, cutting the deficit to 7-3.

The Admirals extended their lead in the second quarter as Wolverton connected with Mylan Stubbs and Camden Morgan on key completions to move the chains. Running back Amijai Frederick finished the drive with a touchdown run, giving Gulfport a 14-3 advantage.

But the Warriors weren’t going away.

Quarterback Jordan Walley found Josyah “JoJo” Owens for a touchdown pass, bringing D’Iberville within four at 14-10.

Then came one of the biggest plays of the night.

On the first play following the kickoff, Matthew Fairley intercepted a Gulfport pass and returned it untouched for a pick-six, giving the Warriors a 17-14 lead heading into halftime.

The two teams continued trading blows in the second half, but Gulfport ultimately came away with a 28-24 victory.

With the win, the Admirals secured their second consecutive Class 7A Region 4 championship.

Both Gulfport and D’Iberville will now turn their attention to the postseason, with each team set to host a playoff game.