By CURTIS ROCKWELL

Item Sports Editor

Picayune earned the right to host their third straight Class 4A South State playoff series on Monday.

And this time the Maroon Tide didn’t even have to take the field to do so.

Picayune won a coin toss with Lawrence County to decide which team will host the all important game one as well as game three if necessary this week. The Maroon Tide will host the Cougars on Friday night at 6 p.m,, in game one of the best of three Class 4A South State semifinals.

Game two will take place in Monticello on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m., and if a third and deciding contest is needed, it will take place back in Pearl River County on Monday night at 6.

“We hope to have a huge crowd,” Picayune head coach Cayne Stockstill said, after winning the coin toss. “The homefield advantage has been very important to us.”

Just as it has in every Class 4A South State series. Of the 12 playoff series to take place so far in the first two rounds, the team that has held homefield advantage has won 11 of those.

Picayune, ranked 10th in the state, stands 20-3 on the year. The Maroon Tide has won six straight games overall and has swept its two playoff series beating Mendenhall and a very scrappy Vancleave team.

Lawrence County, under the direction of head coach Cory Keys, stands 23-8 on the year. The Cougars swept D’Iberville in the opening round of the playoffs, and then beat Wayne County in three games last week to advance with each team winning on its homefield.

Lawrence County stormed back from a 9-2 deficit in game one to take a 10-9 win before WCHS beat the Cougars 11-7 to even the series. LCHS then took the rubber game with ease 14-5 Saturday.