Moss Point High School

Moss Point High School
Moss Point High School, September 2012
Location
4913 Weems Street Moss Point , Mississippi 39563 United States
Coordinates	30°24′47″N88°32′58″W / 30.413087°N 88.54939°W / 30.413087; -88.54939
Information
Type	Public secondary school
School district	Moss Point School District
Principal	Otis Gaines 2024- Present
Teaching staff	40.54 (on an FTE basis) [1]
Grades	9-12 [1]
Enrollment	493 (2023-2024) [1]
Student to teacher ratio	12.16 [1]
Colors	Navy, grey and white [2]
Nickname	Tigers [2]
Website	mphs.mpsdnow.org
Moss Point High School Auditorium

Moss Point High School is a public high school in Moss Point, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Moss Point School District.

History

Moss Point High School was established in 1883 in a two-story schoolhouse. Tuition was required. ^[3] There was also a Moss Point Academy.^{[ clarification needed ]}

In 1941, a two-story art deco school building was constructed on the school's campus as part of a Works Project Administration (WPA) project. ^[4]

During segregation, Moss Point High School was an all-white school.^{[ when? ] [5]} Magnolia High School served the area's African American students. Magnolia High School's team name were the Monarchs, with the school colors being purple and gold. ^[6] Magnolia High School closed in the 1970s. After desegregation Magnolia became a Junior High School. There was a violent confrontation at Moss Point High School and dozens of police responded.^{[ when? ] [7]}

In 1999, Jesse Jackson was photographed during a visit to the school. ^[8]

Academics

Moss Point was ranked 105th in Mississippi and 11,634th nationally in the 2021 U.S. News & World Report annual ranking of public high schools. ^[9]

Demographics

The demographic breakdown of the 476 students enrolled for school year 2020-21 was: ^[1]

• Asian - 0.2%
• Black - 78.6%
• Hispanic - 4 2%
• Male - 50.4%
• Native Hawaiian/Pacific islanders - 0.2%
• White - 14.5%
• Multiracial - 2.3%
• Female - 49.6%

For 2020-21, Moss Point was a Title I school with 100% of its students eligible for free lunch. ^[1]

Athletics

Moss Point High School's team name are the Tigers, with the school colors being navy blue, grey and white. ^{[2] [10]} The school's football team has won several state championships and has had 18 alumni play in the NFL. ^{[11] [12]}

Notable alumni

• Eric Austin, NFL safety ^[13]
• Verlon Biggs, NFL defensive end ^[14]
• Damarius Bilbo, sports agent ^[15]
• Devin Booker, NBA player ^{[16] [17]}
• Melvin Booker, NBA player
• John F. Brock, corporate executive of Coca-Cola Enterprises ^[18]
• Isaiah Canaan, NBA player
• Ray Costict, NFL linebacker ^[19]
• Wendell Davis, NFL tight end ^[20]
• Ken Farragut, NFL center and linebacker ^[21]
• Kevin Fant, former college football quarterback for the Mississippi State Bulldogs ^[22]
• Litterial Green, NBA player ^[23]
• LeRoy Hurd, professional basketball player ^[24]
• Alcender Jackson, NFL offensive lineman ^[25]
• Gerald Jackson, NFL defensive back ^[26]
• Jack Jackson, NFL wide receiver ^[27]
• Kenny Johnson, NFL defensive back and return specialist
• Tom Johnson, NFL defensive tackle ^[28]
• Ed Khayat, NFL defensive lineman and head coach
• Robert Khayat, University of Mississippi Chancellor and former NFL player
• Aubrey Matthews, NFL wide receiver ^[29]
• Sharon Caples McDougle, spacesuit technician for NASA ^[30]
• Toni Seawright, actress and singer-songwriter ^[31]
• Tony Sipp, MLB pitcher
• George Wonsley, NFL running back ^[32]
• Nathan Wonsley, NFL running back ^[33]
• Otis Wonsley, NFL running back ^[34]

References

1. "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for MOSS POINT HIGH SCHOOL". nces.ed.gov. US Department of Education. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
2. "MHSAA School Directory". www.misshsaa.com. Mississippi High School Activities Association. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
3. Education, Mississippi State Department of (April 18, 1890). "Biennial Report of the State Superintendent of Public Education to the Legislature of Mississippi for the Years ..." The Department – via Google Books.
4. Putnam, Richelle (April 18, 2017). Mississippi and the Great Depression. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   9781467118767 – via Google Books.
5. Martin, Gordon A. (January 5, 2011). Count Them One by One: Black Mississippians Fighting for the Right to Vote. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN   9781604737905 – via Google Books.
6. Dumas, Michael (June 29, 2010). "The Way it Was - Alumni of Moss Point's Magnolia High get ready to party". gulflive.
7. Adams, Natalie G.; Adams, James H. (October 9, 2018). Just Trying to Have School: The Struggle for Desegregation in Mississippi. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN   9781496819574 – via Google Books.
8. Company, Johnson Publishing (May 10, 1999). "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company – via Google Books.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
9. staff. "Moss Point High". usnews.com. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
10. "Moss Point (MS) High School Sports - Football, Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, and more | MaxPreps". www.maxpreps.com.
11. Moss Point (Moss Point, MS) Alumni Pro Stats. Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
12. "Mississippi High School Football History". www.ahsfhs.org. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
13. Eric Austin Stats. Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
14. Verlon Biggs Stats. Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
15. "From clutch to Klutch: Damarius Bilbo's journey from star quarterback to star agent".
16. "Devin Booker: From Moss Point to MVP candidate". April 15, 2022.
17. Wallace, Tom (October 18, 2016). University of Kentucky Basketball Encyclopedia. Simon and Schuster. ISBN   9781613218938 – via Google Books.
18. "Jackson Clarion-Ledger 13 Oct 2001". Clarion-Ledger. October 13, 2001. p. 22.
19. "Billy Wayne Miller's legacy still felt in Jackson County (Stephenson) - gulflive.com". www.gulflive.com. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
20. Wendell Davis Stats. Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
21. "Former Moss Point, Ole Miss, NFL star Ken Farragut dead at 85". February 17, 2014.
22. Magee, Patrick (January 22, 2019). "Former Mississippi State QB lands head coaching job at Coast high school". Clarion Ledger . Retrieved August 10, 2023.
23. Litterial Green. legendsofbasketball.com. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
24. Leroy Hurd. University of Miami Athletics. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
25. Alcender Jackson Stats. Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
26. Gerald Jackson Stats. Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
27. Jack Jackson Stats. Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
28. Tom Johnson Stats. Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
29. "Aubrey Matthews Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
30. Rojas, Leslie. (April 16, 2022). Former NASA Technician visits a Dream Builders Workshop in Moss Point. WLOX. Retrieved November, 9, 2025.
31. Company, Johnson Publishing (February 18, 1988). "Ebony". Johnson Publishing Company – via Google Books.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
32. George Wonsley Stats. Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
33. Nathan Wonsley Stats. Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
34. Otis Wonsley Stats. Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved November 9, 2025.

External links

• Official website