Page 12 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2026

From Long shot to Legend
Wide receiver Mylan Stubbs went up, reached higher than everyone else, and came down with the ball as the final second disappeared. A stadium full of fans, players, and parents had to process what they’d just seen.
The extra point only added punctuation: 21–20, Gulfport. A first-ever state championship—earned at the buzzer, the kind of ending people will still be talking about decades from now.
The night belonged to Crosby, who piled up more than
160 rushing yards,
and to an Admirals
defense that played
its best football in
the biggest moments.
But more than that, it belonged to every Gulfport player, coach, and fan
who spent years and years dreaming of this moment.
When the clock hit zero, Gulfport wasn’t just celebrating a win. It was celebrating history.
Gulfport and Tupelo high schools traded momentum like two heavyweights, but the Admirals struck first. Senior running back Cooper Crosby was practically unstoppable in the first half, slicing through Tupelo’s front with long touchdown runs that put Gulfport up 14–7. The defense held firm through two quarters, and for a moment, it looked like the Admirals might cruise into history.
But championship games never read like easy, feel-good football movie scripts. Tupelo came out determined after halftime, tying the score, and then—deep in the fourth quarter—punching in another touchdown to grab a 20–14 lead. A blocked extra point was a tiny swing that didn’t look important at the time. It turned out to be everything.
With less than half a minute left, Gulfport had one last shot. Quarterback Parker Nettles kept his composure, nudging the offense downfield just far enough to take one final attempt at the end zone. And that’s when time seemed to pause.
Nettles heaved a high, arcing throw toward a crowd of waiting defenders.
The Gulfport
Admirals arrived
in Starkville chasing
something that had eluded the program for generations. Last month, under the bright lights at Davis Wade Stadium, they finally seized it—thanks to a finish no Hollywood writer would dare pitch without being laughed out of the room.
COAST NOTE
Gulfport Admirals Win First-Ever State Championship story by Cherie Ward photos by Keith Warren
12 | January 2026 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living