Gulfport has won three straight games at home, while Northwest Rankin has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Admirals will challenge the Cougars at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Gulfport's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last seven contests.
Gulfport had to skate by with only a three-point margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 32-point drubbing they dealt Harrison Central on Thursday. The Admirals breezed past the Red Rebels to the tune of 45-13. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Admirals' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Mississippi football rankings (they are ranked sixth, while the Red Rebels are ranked 141st).
Cooper Crosby
| 11/06/25 vs Harrison Central | 2 |
| 10/31/25 @ D'Iberville | 2 |
| 10/24/25 vs Biloxi | 2 |
| 10/17/25 @ West Harrison | 3 |
| 10/10/25 vs St. Martin | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
Cooper Crosby produced another solid performance rushing for 54 yards and two touchdowns on only five carries, while also picking up 73 receiving yards and one TD. He has been hot, having posted two or more rushing touchdowns the last seven times he's played. Another player making a difference was Parker Nettles, who threw for 160 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 80% of his passes.
Gulfport didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Cannon Parker, Javious Hales, Cortell Crandle, and Cordarious Payton picked up one apiece. Payton got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Northwest Rankin took on Petal on Thursday. The Cougars secured a 34-28 W over the Panthers.
Northwest Rankin's win came from a few key players Gulfport will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jermany Hayden, who rushed for 60 yards and three scores, and also picked up 32 receiving yards. Northwest Rankin is 4-1 when Hayden posts two or more rushing touchdowns, but 2-3 otherwise. De'Shawn Dillon did his part to keep the secondary busy, picking up 98 receiving yards.
Gulfport's record is now 8-2. As for Northwest Rankin, their record now sits at 6-4.
Friday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant backs against one another: Crosby and Hayden. Crosby just won't slow down this season and has run in 23 touchdowns while averaging 114.5 rushing yards per game. Hayden has been a dominant force too and has run in 17 touchdowns while averaging 134.8 rushing yards per game.
Gulfport was able to grind out a solid win over Northwest Rankin when the teams last played back in August of 2019, winning 21-14. Will the Admirals repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
