Harrison Central Red Rebels punch return trip to Jackson

The weekend has come and gone and only five high school basketball teams from the Gulf Coast teams are still alive. In the boys ranks, Harrison Central is the only local school making a second straight trip up to Jackson.
The Red Rebels completed their road back to the Big House on Saturday with a 60-45 victory over Ocean Springs. After locking up the top seed in the district tournament, Harrison Central took the long way home, losing out on a first round bye to Biloxi in the title game.
Perhaps more battle-tested than ever here they are again, the Red Rebels knocking on the door to the state tournament with some unfinished business to attend to. Harrison Central Head Boys Basketball Coach Boo Hardy said, “That game against Biloxi kind of gave us a wake-up call. It could have been a playoff game, so we just decided that we’re going to play the best basketball that we can play. Last year we got to Jackson and didn’t complete the goal, but this year at the beginning of the school year we decided that we wanted to complete the mission. But there only can be one state champion in 6A basketball, so we’re almost there.”
This is Harrison Central’s third trip to Jackson under Coach Hardy since his arrival in 2007. Overall, the Red Rebels are seeking their first state title since the year 2000.
Here’s a look at the rest of the field from the Gulf Coast still in the hunt for that gold ball. In class 6A Pascagoula is joining the Red Rebels after shocking Biloxi on Saturday. Stone will also continue its run back to prominence in the class 5A ranks.
As for the girls, Gulfport and St. Martin will be representing 6A as well.