The unbeaten Picayune Maroon Tide is the top-ranked Class 5A team in the state in the first Associated Press Sportswriters poll of the season.

Picayune, under the guidance of veteran head coach Dodd Lee, has recorded two huge early season road wins to open the year. Picayune beat Gulfport, at that time ranked 28th in the nation in one national poll, 17-14 in the season opener and then followed that with  another win in the final seconds as Dalton O’Meara split the uprights with a 30-yard field goal on the final play of the game for a 20-17 win over Petal, which was ranked eighth in the state.

Picayune edged two time defending Class 5A state champion West Point for the top spot in this week’s AP Poll. The Maroon Tide got six first place votes and the Green Wave got five first place votes.

Picayune is preparing for its third straight road game against an unbeaten team, as the Maroon Tide travels to Brooklyn Friday night to face Forrest County AHS. The Aggies are also 2-0, and ranked ninth in the state in Class 4A.

Deronte Magee has gained almost 200 yards and scored twice in Picayune’s two wins.

Dontavian Lee ran 10 times for 78 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass from Lucas Dubose for 76 yards and a touchdown as FCAHS thumped Harrison Central 29-6 Friday. In their season opener, the Aggies jumped out to a 21-6 halftime lead and cruised to a 34-12 win over the Stone County Tomcats. Aggie QB Dubose was perfect on his passing attempts, completing all eight tries for 170 yards and three touchdowns. Dubose started the scoring with a 36-yard toss to Stacey Garner in the second quarter. Clarence Atkinson followed with a 1-yard run and Dubose threw 38 yards to Adarrius Perkins to make it 21-6 at halftime. Atkinson had another 1-yard scoring run to start the third quarter and Dubose finished the FCAHS scoring the way it started with a 36-yard pass to Garner.