Hornets eager to bring first football State Championship to Poplarville this weekend

We started off the football season with 25 teams and now we’re down to two as we enter the week of the 2024 State Championship. Our team representing the Gulf Coast and south Mississippi as a whole in the 4A State Championship are the Hornets of Poplarville high school!

The Poplarville Hornets have established themselves as a well-oiled machine on the gridiron for many years now and this year has been no different. They currently sit at an overall record of 12-2, winning their most previous game on the road in nail biting fashion, defeating Forest 24-21. 

The green and gold are no stranger to the championship stage, appearing four times prior to the 2024 season, and they’re hoping the fifth time’s the charm as they aim to bring home their very first football state title to Popvegas this weekend.

“It’s big time motivation. The whole community is rooting for us. The guys that have been through those other state title games are rooting for us to hopefully finally get one. it’d be a major accomplishment if we were able to get it, said Head Coach Jay Beech. “If you make it and get to this point, anything can happen. we’re going to try to play our hardest.”

“It’d be school history. Just like my friend Josh Beck said Sunday when he texted the groupchat. He said ‘Let’s go guys! We’ve got to make history’. I mean we’ve been there for times, so why can’t we make it 1-4,” said senior wide receiver and cornerback Nick Miller.

“We just want to be the first ones to do it,” said running back Tylan “Ty” Keys. “We’ve all grown up watching the older ones come and play in them so it’s just making us work hard this week. We want it so bad. We’re going to work for it and possibly get it. let’s do it!”

Poplarville will play Louisville this coming Saturday at 3:30pm at Southern Miss. WXXV will have highlights of the matchup that night on social media with a full recap Sunday night on WXXV News 25 at 9 and 10.