School Spotlight: Poplarville High School (Poplarville, Mississippi)

Our newest school spotlight is covering Poplarville High School out of Poplarville, Mississippi. The Hornets have been a very successful program over the past 8 years making it to the State Championship Game 4 times. Although they have not come away with a win from the big game the Hornets have surely established themselves as a powerhouse in the Region 8 4A Division. They will be younger this year but still have aspirations of winning another district championship and going deep into the playoffs.

Head Coach Jay Beech started out playing college ball at Pearl River Community College and moved on to Charleston Southern before moving into the high school coaching scene. He started at Hancock High School in 2005 before moving over the Pearl River from 2006-2010. He eventually took an Offensive Coordinator job at Poplarville in 2011 before taking over as Head Coach in 2014.

What is your coaching philosophy?

“We are trying to develop our players in our programs from a young age. It is crucial to teach them the needed skills in order to fill the roles of our team. I want to build our players through our weight training and conditioning program to build tough and dedicated young athletes.”

The Hornets previously had utilized a Wing T offense but in the past few years have shifted over to a shotgun heavy offense with a numerous amount of power and counter run plays coming out of their formations. Defensively they try to play tough and physical out of a 3-4 base.

A player to be on the lookout for is Defensive Back and Running Back Lawrence Jamison. Lawrence is 6’0 180 LBS. Lawrence was 1st Team All District last season and will look to make more strides in his upcoming senior season. Lawrence is a very aggressive tackler and talented running back.

Lawrence Jamison

Aden Dedeaux is another All District returner for the Hornets. Aden is a 6’4 220 LBS Defensive End/Outside Linebacker. Aden is a big and strong leader on the defensive line. His success next season will really help the Hornets.

Aden Dedeaux

An offensive player who is looking to build off a great junior campaign is Tight End Evan Magee. Evan is a 6’1 215 weapon who led his team in receptions last season while also being a crucial blocker. He is looking to receive even more of a workload with more catches and touchdowns in the future.

Tyke Smith is a 6’1 218 LBS Fullback for the Hornets. He is a returner who comes back with great leadership qualities. He is expected to take on a big leadership role for the Hornets offense in the upcoming season.