25 Teams in 25 Days: Poplarville Hornets

Of the five Coast schools that have won at least one high school football state championships, Poplarville feels like it should be on that list.

- of the five coast schools that- have won at least one high- school football state - championship... poplarville...- feels like it should be on that- list.

- but despite making it to the 4-- title game, three out of the- last four years... the hornets- are still in search... of their- first-- ever gold ball.

- maybe fourth time's a charm, at- stop number 9... on news 25's 2- teams in 25 days.

- - 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 ---> family on three!

One,- two, three, family!"

"for myself and most of us here we go god, school is a big part- of it, our family at home - and then this is just about as- important as our family at home- cause we're out here- - - - around these guys every day - putting hard work in.

We're - sweating, blood, tears, - everything out here and we're - together.

You see the person- next to you working - hard, and you don't want to let- it go."

Why let anything go, coming off- yet another trip to the 4-a - state - title game... poplarville's - third... in four years.

- only this time... the hornets - were considered to be the - underdog... after posting a mar- of just 1-4... in non-district- games.- "outside there was a bunch of negativity saying y'all aren't- going to be as good - as last year.

I knew this was - going to happen."

"player receiving a little grief, a - little doubt.

People thought- that we wouldn't be - any good.

Some people said we - weren't even going to make the- playoffs last - year.

And we had to listen to i- all, our kids had to listen to- it all, and we took some- pretty bad beats early.

But we- never lost faith."

Bigger the setback... bigger th- comeback... is a good way to- describe poplarville's 20- 19 - season.

- the reigning south state champs- responded with a- 4-1 showing, in region 7- games... outscoring opponents b- an- average of 42 points, in their- four wins... three of those - coming via the shutout.

- "we played some great competition early, and it - exposed some of our - weaknesses.

And we were able to- recognize those weaknesses and- work on them and- by the end of the year we had - fixed most of them, and won fou- in a row there and got us - into the state title game."

Momentum is a powerful thing...- but so was north state champion- corinth.- nagging injuries to star runnin- back chase shears certainly - didn't help... as poplarville - fell victim to the same fate, - for a - third time over... in the form- of a 55-21 defeat... at the - hands of the- warriors.

- "in the season, it was a very good feeling, like it felt like- we won state just coming back - from that 1-4 start and making- it all the way there.

And then- that state game, it was - devastating."

"well, last year we had to figh and scratch and claw just to ge- into the game.- just one of those nights where- we got beat.

It was pretty- embarrassing, we got- beat in front of the whole stat- pretty bad.

So we want to come- back and have a great - year this year and get back and- prove ourselves again."

- - - for a program that seemingly ha- so little to prove -- at least- before the first weekend in - december... try telling that to- this year's class of 15 - seniors... led by the winner of- this- year's hornet ironman - competition gregory swann...- and second place finisher torry- polk.

- "man, i feel like we're going t come out here and run down- people's throat like we - have every year."

"you feel like you have more weight on your shoulders, but a- the same time every - single one of us over here have- a weight on our shoulders from- that and every single - one of us can handle that."

At 9-6 overall... poplarville's- three-year run of winning - double-digit games... and the - region 7 title... is over.- that being said... class 4-a- south still runs through the- hornets nest... where all the - buzz... is about leaving a- lasting - sting... for years to come.

- "whenever we get in that locker room it's all about state talk,- i mean that's all they- want to do.

Before practices- we'll talk about the corinth- game from last year - and then it just reminds- everybody and the whole locker- room gets quiet."

"everybody wants to win one and we're going to try to win one.- we're not happy just- getting there, but we are proud- of what we've accomplished and- we are hungry for - a state title."

- as a result of the corona-- virus... poplarville lost - its august 21st game, at- laurel... its august 28th home- game, - against pearl river central...- and its september 4th - game, at mandeville.- the hornets were able to pick u- a game on the 4th, at biloxi...- as- a part of big red's annual- shrimp bowl... and a game - against my alma