Poplarville defeats Picayune on the road for the first time in 51 years with 42-15 victory!

Our WXXV Game Ball of the Week matchup brought us to a battle in Pearl River County as the Picayune Maroon Tide hosted the Poplarville Hornets for a Week 5 high school football showdown.

Poplarville wasted no time making a statement. On the Hornets’ opening possession, quarterback Trac Smith handed the ball to Miami commit Ty Keys, who did the rest. Keys broke loose for a 73-yard touchdown run, putting Poplarville on the board first, 7-0.

The Hornets struck again on their next possession. From the Wildcat formation, Keys took the snap and stepped back to throw, finding a wide-open Aaron Graham downfield. Graham raced into the end zone for another Poplarville touchdown, extending the lead to 14-0.

Picayune finally answered with a scoring drive. Running back Xavier Dennis powered his way through the Poplarville defense for a first down before quarterback Gabe Brewer found Jorel James on the run. James broke one tackle and dragged another defender to move the chains. After a penalty pushed the Tide back, kicker Edgar Cruz came through with a field goal to put Picayune on the board. The Maroon Tide trailed 14-3.

With three minutes remaining in the first half, Keys took a direct snap and followed his offensive line downfield for a big gain. Once Poplarville reached the red zone, Smith handed the ball to sophomore Kayden Bradford. Known as speedy, Bradford broke free and carried a Picayune defender with him into the end zone for another Hornets touchdown.

Poplarville took a 21-3 lead into halftime and continued to control the game in the second half. The Hornets went on to defeat Picayune 42-15, earning their first win over the Maroon Tide on the road in 51 years.

Both Pearl River County teams will now turn their attention to regional play next week.