As Picayune and Poplarville wrapped up their spring football drills by participating in jamborees on Friday, local football fans began casting an anxious eye towards August when pre-season practice begins with the kick-off of yet another prep season on the gridiron soon to follow.

Picayune travelled to Moss Point on Friday and faced both the homestanding Tigers and the George County Rebels in controlled scrimmage type situations.

Ironically, Dantzler Stadium, on the banks of the Escatawpa River, is where the Maroon Tide began this school year on the football field, beating Moss Point to open the 2006 season.

And, the Tide and Tigers will open the 2007 season against one another as well as Moss Point travels to Picayune in late August.

Picayune will also host Slidell High this season for the first time in 15 years along with a first ever meeting with Madison Central on the road. A Saturday date at Pascagoula will round out the pre-Division 8-4A portion of Picayune’s schedule.

The league part of the slate will see Picayune meeting new division foe D’Iberville to wrap up the regular season, a slot the Tide had an open date on the past two seasons.

Picayune dropped Gulfport and Harrison Central from its schedule.

• Poplarville traveled to Brooklyn Friday to participate in a jamboree against Long Beach and Stone High. Host Forrest County AHS also took part in the jamboree.

The Hornets perhaps as much as any other team are looking forward to the upcoming football season, because it will mark their first in their new on-campus stadium Poplarville opens its new venue by hosting West Jones to open the season in late August.

The Hornets also shook up their schedule, and will play new opponents Stone and Vancleave in addition to WJHS this year. The Hornets will also meet FCAHS for the second straight year in non-division play.

Poplarville will also meet D’Iberville in 8-4A play, as the Warriors replaced Pass Christian in the new realignment.

• Pearl River Central and Hancock will wrap up spring drills on Thursday as PRC hosts a jamboree featuring the two local teams along with Pass Christian and Columbia.