LAUREL, Miss. — Few rivalries in Mississippi high school football capture the history, passion and tradition of the Little Brown Jug. On Friday night, Laurel and Hattiesburg will meet again in one of the state’s oldest rivalries, renewing a battle that dates back more than a century.
For Laurel, the game offers a chance to stop a four-game losing skid and reclaim the Jug on its home field. For Hattiesburg, it is an opportunity to bounce back from a rough opening loss to Petal and give its seniors a chance to leave with the Jug in hand all four years. The Tigers have won the last three meetings and eight of the past 10.
Most importantly, the Jug is more than a game. It remains a symbol of community pride and tradition that stretches back to 1922.
Laurel opened the 2025 season with a 20-9 loss to rival West Jones. Despite the result, Golden Tornadoes head coach Ryan Earnest said his team showed fight against a quality opponent.
“We played well in some spots and in some spots we could have played better,” Earnest said. “Overall, I thought our kids competed extremely well right to the very end. We had opportunities to win, we just weren’t able to capitalize. The message is to stay the course, continue to work, trust the process and get better.”
Even though Earnest is 1-4 in the rivalry as head coach, the formula to winning the game has not changed.
“We’ve got to play mistake-free football, limit turnovers and control the line of scrimmage,” he said. “The last three games don’t have any bearing on Friday night. We just have to win Friday, and that’s all that matters.”
The Tornadoes are led by sophomore quarterback Bryson Bivens, who started as a freshman last season before a collarbone injury cut his year short. Running back Desmond Hosey emerged as the top rusher in the opener, while wide receiver Zechariah Jenkins — a 6-foot-2, 190-pound Memphis commit — gives Laurel a proven playmaker on the outside. Up front, right tackle Jarod Barnes anchors the line, and the Tornadoes expect to have slot receiver Martavious Collier back from injury after missing the West Jones game.
On defense, Earnest said the priority will be containing Hattiesburg’s athletes in space.
“Hattiesburg traditionally has great skill players, and this year is no different,” Earnest said. “We have to get them on the ground when they get the ball. We want to prevent them from creating explosive plays, and that means tackling and controlling the line of scrimmage.”
For Earnest, who played in the rivalry as a Golden Tornado before coaching in it, the Jug remains as special as ever.
“Embrace it, enjoy it,” he said. “You’re part of a select group of kids who get to participate in a game of this magnitude. Having played in four of them myself and now coaching in my seventh, I know how special it is. It’s something you’ll be able to tell your kids about one day.”
On the other side, Hattiesburg is looking to rebound after being blown out at Petal in first-year head coach Kendall Lacey’s debut. Lacey said the opener was a wake-up call.
“The first game is always a learning experience,” Lacey said. “We’ve got to raise the intensity. You can’t be lackadaisical on Monday, then go hard on Tuesday and Wednesday and think it’s going to work. We’ve got to give our best effort every day and pay more attention to the small details — especially on special teams.”
Lacey has emphasized consistency in practice this week, knowing the rivalry will demand a sharper effort.
“The most important thing is to live in the moment,” he said. “We can’t get too high or too low. We just have to make sure we’re at our very best when we get to Laurel on Friday.”
Running back Bryson Barnes provided a spark with a 59-yard touchdown run against Petal, while the Tigers’ receiving corps remains one of their strengths. It is not clear if five-star wide receiver Tristin Keys will play for Hattiesburg after missing the opener.
Defensively, tackling will be critical, a point Lacey has repeated after breakdowns against Petal.
For Hattiesburg’s seniors, the Jug represents a chance to cement a legacy. The Tigers have won the last three meetings in the rivalry, and another victory would give this class the rare distinction of never having lost the trophy.
“The Little Brown Jug is very important,” Lacey said. “It’s symbolic in our community. I want our seniors to have the chance to say they kept it all four years. You can’t get caught up in the hype or in last week. You just have to go out Friday, play Hattiesburg Tiger football, and hopefully come out on top.”
The Little Brown Jug is more than just another football game. It is Mississippi’s oldest rivalry, a contest that has shaped memories for generations in Hattiesburg and Laurel. Each season, no matter the records or recent results, the Jug serves as a reminder of how much pride, tradition and emotion high school football can carry.
For Hattiesburg, the game represents a chance to rebound quickly and give its seniors the opportunity to leave with the Jug in hand all four years. For Laurel, it is about halting a skid, defending its home turf and showing that one tough start does not define a season.
Hattiesburg and Laurel will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday in Laurel.
