The Poplarville Hornets football team was honored by the city’s administration Tuesday evening for winning the 2020 Mississippi Class 4A South State Championship this past season.

Poplarville’s Board of Aldermen passed a motion commending the team for its championship win. The motion also commended Head Coach Jay Beech, his staff, high school principal Jon Will, Superintendent Konya Miller and the Poplarville High School community.

The game “will be remembered as one of the muddiest, yet dominant south state championships in recent years,” the motion states.

The Board recognized the 16 seniors who led the team: Torry Polk, Dante Buckley, Quentin Baker, Nate Anderson, Jamaya Henry, Greg Swann, Hunter Martin, Mason Anderson, Hagen Hall, Andrew Smith, Hunter Benefield, Tyler Knight, Landon Foil, Seth Ladner, Preston Stuart and Semaj Young. The team has won three south state championships for the last three years straight, and won four in the last five years.

In a separate matter, the city is pursuing grant funding to replace the dock at the Poplar Springs Lake, which has suffered from extensive termite damage. The Board approved engaging Dungan Engineering to assess the damage and assist in preparing the grant application.

The wood in the dock was replaced only four or five years ago, said Public Works Superintendent Sam Hale. The city would be responsible for half the cost of the project if the grant is awarded, but that award will not be determined until next year. The dock needs to be replaced to meet handicap accessibility requirements.

The Board entered executive session to discuss personnel matters in the police department, but made no motions after executive session.

In other business the Board:

—Heard an update that the Poplarville Police Department is again having trouble submitting crime reports to the state, this time due to an issue with a location code being eliminated from the state system, but is still in the department’s system.

—Approved two water meter account adjustments due to meter reading problems. One account was reduced by $471 and the other was reduced by $143.

The next Board meeting will be Tuesday Feb. 16, at 5 p.m. in Poplarville’s City Hall.