From the notebook……….

*After crisscrossing Mississippi and Louisiana the past three weeks I’ve seen some quality teams that could wind up taking home some hardware next month in tournament play. Trips to Jackson, Carrollton, Batesville, Brookhaven, Columbia, Alexandria, McComb and Franklinton have afforded me the opportunity to see eight of the top ten AA boy’s teams in action and five of the top ten girl’s teams. I’ll see top ranked Leake play East Rankin in girl’s action this Thursday night and I desperately want to catch Kirk’s girls before the end of January. Next month could provide some fantastic tournament play as this season may prove to be one with lots of parity.
*What I’ve also had the privilege of seeing is some great young talent that everyone will be exposed to over the next handful of seasons. Four that I’ve seen this season come to mind. Last week I was at the Presbyterian/Parklane girl’s game and was amazed to see this seventh grader playing on what many consider the best team in the MAIS. I’m not talking about mop-up play in the fourth quarter, she logged lots of quality minutes. Trista Magee, sister of Katye Magee, is a name to remember. Three freshmen to keep a close eye on as they progress through the next three years are Hannah Peoples of Leake, Mackayla Dykes of Bowling Green and Aaron McAlexander of Marshall. Peoples started as an eight grader on last season’s overall girl’s title team. Dykes has started for Bowling Green since last season’s district tournament at Centreville and has put up some big numbers this year and McAlexander could be one the better players in the MAIS as he moves up to the varsity level at Marshall.
*The weekly poll that was posted on Southern Sports & Travel last week regarding the new playoff format was interesting. The question was “Do you think the new playoff format will be better?” There were 82 responses with 41 saying yes and 41 no.
*As tournament play approaches I’ll be updating scores and information via twitter. To receive updates during post season sign on to follow me. Just look on the sidebar near the bottom of the page.
*An open invitation still exists for anyone with a passion for writing to contribute to Southern Sports & Travel. A week never goes by that I don’t get a text or email offering information about
something but the challenge north of Jackson is big. Southern Sports & Travel will continue to grow through its’ current form or a new one, who wants to be a part of it?
*Here’s a big “get well soon” to River Oaks head coach Roger Stockton who has been a bit ill lately.
*Please text scores to 985-750-3455.

Marshall powers past North Delta

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

The fourth ranked Marshall Patriots improved to 16-6 with a 60-48 road win over North Delta on Saturday but more importantly they sit atop the district 1AA standings with a 5-1 mark. Sophomore guard Jordan Wyke had a game high 25 points and Jordan Brock added 14 as the Patriots nailed nine 3-pointers on the night.
Marshall got out to a 5-2 lead on a Jordan Brock basket and a Jordan Wyke 3-pointer from the wing. North Delta took a 6-5 at the 5:45 mark following two straight buckets from Jim Tom Copeland. Marshall went back up 11-9 on a John Tomlinson basket in the paint with 3:02 left in an opening quarter that had five ties and three lead changes. North Delta guard Bryan Nickle sliced through the Patriot defense for two consecutive baskets for a 13-11 Green Wave lead with just one minute remaining in the quarter. Marshall got a basket from Jake Omedeo on the Patriot’s next possession to tie it at 13-13 and both teams traded buckets to end the first quarter knotted up at 15-15. (Above) Jordan Wyke (#20) of Marshall with a 3-point jumper
Jake Omedeo’s 15 foot jumper at the four minute mark of the second quarter completed a Marshall 10-1 run to put the Patriots up 25-16. Corbin Baker hit a 3-pointer for North Delta at the 3:46 mark to make it 25-19 but Marshall’s Jordan Wyke was on fire as the sophomore hit 3-pointers from the wing on consecutive possessions to put the Patriots up 31-19. North Delta pulled back to within three points at 33-30 with 1:24 left in the half on eight straight points from guard Chris Brown. Marshall finished the quarter on a Jordan Brock transition basket with 24 seconds left that put the Patriots up 38-32 at the halfway point.
Marshall’s 3-point shooting barrage continued in the third quarter as Taylor Maurey and Jordan Wyke both nailed three’s to put the Pats up 44-32. Another Wyke 3-pointer at the 3:53 mark extended the lead to 47-34 and Marshall’s biggest lead. North Delta outscored Marshall 10-6 to close out the third quarter with a 53-44 deficit. (Above) Jim Tom Copeland (#24) of North Delta defended by Marshall's Jake Omedeo (#33)
Marshall claimed their biggest lead of the game at the 5:29 mark of the fourth quarter when Taylor Maurey hit the Patriot’s ninth 3-pointer of the night for a 58-44 advantage. Marshall held North Delta to four points in the final quarter en-route to a 60-48 win.
“I’m pleased with our performance tonight,” said Marshall head coach Craig Dailey. “Our intensity was good on the road.” The Patriots were without starting guard Caleb Byrd who has been sidelined with an MCL injury. “On offense we lulled a little with Caleb out but he should be back on Monday.”
Jordan Wyke led Marshall with a game high 25 points including six 3-pointers. Jordan Brock contributed with 14 points, Jake Omedeo added 11, Taylor Maurey 8 and Chase Ferrell 2. (Above) Jordan Wyke (#20) tries to shoot over North Delta's Corbin Baker (#12)
For North Delta, Jim Tom Copeland had 16 points, Chris Brown added 12, Bryan Nickle had 8, Derrick Shawn 5, Geri Lamm 4 and Corbin Baker 3 points.
Next up for Marshall is Memphis Home School while North Delta (11-7 & 4-2) travels to West Memphis on Tuesday.
MA…15…23…15…7…60
ND…15…17…12…4…48

North Delta takes district win over Marshall

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

North Delta earned a physical hard fought 34-25 win over Marshall on Saturday in Batesville. The Lady Green Wave, playing without starter Bradi Beard due to illness, played a ferocious man-to-man defense en-route to improving their overall mark to 17-10 and district record to 4-2.
North Delta took an early 2-0 lead on a Kourtney Norris offensive rebound and score. Marshall on got the board at the 6:31 mark on an Emily Burk assist to Chelsey Gilliam. The Lady Patriots would get an Emily Burk 3-pointer from the wing and a Burk 17 footer take a 10-7 lead into the second quarter. (Above) Sara Waldrip (#23) of North Delta nails a 3-pointer
North Delta tied the game at 10-10 on a Madison Greenlee 3-pointer from the wing one minute into the second quarter and the Lady Green Wave pressure defense began paying dividends as Laci DuBravec converted a Marshall turnover into a 3-pointer and a 13-10 lead at the 6:41 mark. Hanna Greenlee hit two free throws to put North Delta up 15-10 but a Kelsey Shaw 3-pointer kept Marshall close at 15-13 with just over three minutes left in the half. A Laci DuBravec free throw with two seconds left in the quarter gave North Delta a slim 16-13 halftime advantage.
The North Delta defense forced Marshall into turnovers on their first three possessions of the third quarter and Sara Waldrip and Linsey Hebert nailed consecutive 3-pointers to give the Lady Green Wave their biggest lead at 22-13 at the 4:10 mark. Callie Clanton provided the only scoring for Marshall in the quarter as the junior hit a 3-pointer and canned two free throws to keep the Lady Patriots close at 25-18 entering the final quarter.
Kelsey Shaw’s 3-pointer from the wing just ten seconds into the fourth quarter pulled Marshall to within four points at 25-21. Following a Laci Dubravec 3-pointer to put North Delta up 28-21, Emily Burk converted on two free throws and hit an eight footer from the baseline to make it a 28-25 game with 6:10 remaining. North Delta would hold Marshall scoreless the rest of the way as the Lady Green Wave went to the spread and hit 4/6 free throws down the stretch for the 34-25 district win. (Above) Kelsey Shaw (#22) of Marshall from the wing
“This was a big win for us tonight,” said North Delta head coach Phil Douglas. “Bradi Beard didn’t play due to illness and we had some last minute adjustments to make but the girls did a great job. This was a big district win for us over a good Marshall team. I have the utmost respect for Craig and the job he has done at Marshall.”
North Delta had balanced scoring from sophomore Laci DuBravec with 9 points, Sara Waldrip added 8, Madison Greenlee had 7, Lauren Kimzey and Linsey Hebert had 3 apiece and Kourtney Norris and Hanna Greenlee 2 each.
Marshall was led by Callie Clanton with 8 points, Emily Burk added 7, Kelsey Shaw had 5, Emma Elgin 3 and Chelsey Gilliam 2.

Marshall slips to 11-13 and 2-4 in district play.
ND…7…9…9…9…34
MA.10.3…5…7..25

(Above) Ceremony honoring North Delta girl's coach Phil Douglas on his 600th win

Raiderettes blast Lady Wave
Courtesy of The Grenada Star

Tuesday’s Kirk-North Delta girls game could have been named Ambush Game. The reason for that name was that the Raiderettes were coming off a 38-35 win over the Lady Green Wave to win the Kirk Invitational last weekend. It would have been easy to have a letdown. That didn’t happen, however. The Raiderettes raced to a 17-2 first period lead and never looked back winning 48-22. With the win, Kirk improves to 21-1 overall. “We talked with our team about pushing forward and not looking back,” Head Coach Mike Reans said. “I thought our girls came out and showed tremendous energy on both sides of the floor. They knew what they needed to do and responded well.” The Raiderettes kept the pressure on in the second period. Kirk outscored ND 10-3 in the second period to lead 27-5 at halftime. Kirk broke the game open in the third period outscoring North Delta 13-6. The Raiderettes put three players in double figures led by Holly Wells with 12 points. Courtney Parella and Carmen Woods each added 10 points. Kelsey Marter had eight points and Beth Mann chipped in a point. Jordan Rutland rounded out the scoring with two points.

Spartans take two from Cenla
Courtesy of The Bastrop Daily Enterprise

Receiving double figures scoring from four starters, Prairie View throttled Cenla Christian 69-20 Friday night at Spartan Gym to open MAIS District 6-2A play.
Prairie View settled the issue early by outscoring the Lady Lions 33-9 in the opening quarter.
“We played good defense tonight,” Prairie View coach Dave Farrell said. “We really got after them early.”
Steadily adding to the lead, the Lady Spartans were up 47-14 at intermission and 62-16 after three frames.
As usual, Caroline Oliphant had a stellar game for the Lady Spartans. Shooting 8-of-13 (4-of-6 from 2-point range and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc), the 5-4 senior point guard totaled 23 points with eight steals and five assists.
Sophomore forward Molly Gregory went double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
“Molly Gregory had a game,” Farrell said. “She was all over the boards. She was very active.”
Logan Tubbs, who shot 3-for-3 from the floor and 4-of-5 from the line, and Jerri Ann Lord added 10 points apiece as the Lady Spartans (15-4, 1-0) won their third straight.
Katie Dobernig paced the Lady Lions (6-5, 0-1) with seven points.
Robby Jones and Connor Smith teamed up for 35 points as Prairie View took care of Cenla Christian 60-47 Friday night at Spartan Gym in the MAIS District 6-2A opener for both schools.

Boys game..........
Leading from wire-to-wire, the Spartans raced to a 15-2 first quarter lead en route to snapping a three-game losing streak.
“Our guys played well, especially defensively,” Prairie View coach Billy Pee said. “We controlled the ball a little better than we had been.”
Prairie View maintained a 13-point edge (27-14) at halftime and bumped the margin to 42-24 at the end of three.
Cenla outscored the Spartans 23-18 in the fourth quarter, but the outcome was never in doubt.
“In the fourth quarter, we didn’t handle the situation real well,” Pee said. “But all-in-all, I thought our kids did a good job.”
Jones topped the Spartans’ page on the scorebook with 18 points and Smith furnished 17. For the Lions, David Ober had 15 points and Dan Green 14.
Prairie View (13-8, 1-0) visits Glenbrook on Tuesday, before returning to the home confines of Spartan Gym for a Friday date with River Oaks.

North Delta sweeps Carroll

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas
The North Delta Green Wave rolled into Carrollton last night and left with a resounding 83-54 win over ninth ranked Carroll. Jim Tom Copeland and Geri Lamm combined for 35 points as the Green Wave improved to 11-6 overall. North Delta returns home today for a huge district 1AA matchup with Marshall.
Last night North Delta set the tone early as the Green Wave jumped up 4-0 on a Corbin Baker basket off the opening tip and Jim Tom Copeland’s eight footer in the paint. Carroll stayed close early on as a Nicholas Mumme basket off the glass pulled the Rebels to within two points at 6-4 with just over two minutes gone in the opening quarter. Carroll took a 9-8 lead at the 4:59 mark on a Hayden Harrell 3-pointer from the wing but North Delta answered with six straight as Bryan Nickle, Geri Lamm and Derrick Shawn all hit baskets to put the Green Wave back on top 14-9 as the pace began to pick up. Shawn nailed a 17 footer as North Delta closed out the opening quarter with a 6-0 run to go up 22-15.

(Above) Chris Brown (#30) of North Delta defending Carroll's Nicholas Mumme
Bailey Guckert opened the second quarter with a bucket to give North Delta its’ biggest lead at 24-15 but Carroll made an 8-2 run over the next two minutes to trim the deficit to 26-23. North Delta then proceeded to break open what was a tight game as Corbin Baker nailed a 3-pointer with just over four minutes left in the half to increase the lead to 29-23. Baker hit another 3-pointer at the two minute mark as North Delta went up 36-23 and began pulling away before the half. North Delta finished the half with their biggest lead at 41-25 on a fast break basket from Bryan Nickle and Ethan Frink’s lay-in and free throw.
Carroll would get no closer than eighteen points in the second half as the North Delta transition game was in full stride. A 3-pointer at the buzzer from Matthew Barefoot gave North Delta a commanding 68-40 lead heading into the final quarter.

(Above) Jim Tom Copeland (#24) of North Delta had a game high 19 pts
North Delta went on to take an 83-54 win over Carroll. With the win the Green Wave will make a splash into the Southern Sports & Travel top ten on Sunday.
“Our boys played hard,” said North Delta head coach Brad Wilson. “We’re getting better and showing more patience on offense, I’m proud of our game tonight.”
Jim Tom Copeland had a game high 19 points to lead North Delta, Geri Lamm added 16, Corbin Baker 13, Bryan Nickle 8, Derrick Shawn and Bailey Guckert 7 apiece, Ethan Frink 5, Chris Brown 4 and Matthew Barefoot with 3.

North Delta improves to 11-6 and will host seventh ranked Marshall this evening.
CJ Hodges led Carroll with 12 points, Breland Marett added 9, Nicholas Mumme had 8, Andrew Wright 6, Ken Daves 4, William Browning, Hayden Harrell and Jeremy Mumme 3 each, Justin Blaylock, Trey Taylor and Adam Jennings had 2 apiece.
Carroll slips to 15-4 with the loss and will travel to Oak Hill on Tuesday.
ND…22…19…26…15…83
CA…15…10…15…14…54

Girls action…….
In the girls matchup the North Delta Lady’s squad left little doubt from start to finish as to why they’re ranked #4 in the Southern Sports & Travel rankings. Ten different players scored as North Delta pounded out a 58-26 win over Carroll on the road to improve to 16-10.
North Delta got out to a 4-0 lead on consecutive baskets from Sara Waldrip. The lead grew to 10-4 at the 5:23 mark of the opening quarter when Linsey Hebert hit a 3-pointer from the wing. The Lady Green Wave ended the first quarter with a 13-2 run that culminated on Bradi Beard’s basket off a Carroll turnover to go up 23-6 entering the second quarter.

(Above) Linsey Hebert (#15) of North Delta launches a 3-pointer
Lauren Kimzey’s 3-pointer from the top of the key with 3:14 left in the half gave North Delta a 33-6 advantage. Carroll had no answer for the up-tempo play from the depth rich North Delta squad and faced a 37-10 halftime deficit.
North Delta rotated players in and out in the second half as they rolled to a 58-26 win. “I thought we had an outstanding game,” said North Delta head coach Phil Douglas. “We knew Carroll had played Indianola and Oak Hill close and that they had a good team so if you had told me before hand that we would win by 32 points tonight I wouldn’t have believed it.” North Delta has a big matchup with Marshall this evening in Batesville. “This was a big win for us tonight coming off a big loss to Kirk this week,” said Douglas. “It should motivate us for our game at home with Marshall.”

(Above) Lauren Kimzey (#20) with one of North Delta's eight 3-pointers on the night
Linsey Hebert and Sara Waldrip each had 11 points to lead North Delta, Bradi Beard and Laci DuBravec had 8 apiece, Kourtney Norris 6, Lauren Kimzey 5, Madison Greenlee 3, Crystal Contreas, Hanna Greenlee and Hannah Waldrip 2 each.
Carroll slipped to 10-9 and was led by Memrie Corley’s 9 points, Ashley Barry added 8, Haley Liddell 4, Kacy Beavers 3 and Skyler Alford had 2.
ND…23…14…10…11…58
CA….6…..4….9…..7….26

North Delta on the rise

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

While girl’s basketball programs such as Leake and Brookhaven get most of the attention a team in northern Mississippi is beginning to enter the conversation as a program on the rise in MAIS basketball. North Delta School sits just 27 miles west of Oxford in Batesville and under the direction of head coach Phil Douglas the Lady Green Wave have notched some quality wins the past two weeks that have them ranked at #4 in the latest Southern Sports & Travel poll. The sophomore laden squad has picked up wins over AAA schools such as Starkville, Magnolia Heights and Pillow and fell to a great Kirk (21-1) team by three points last week.
The evolution of the girl’s program at North Delta has been a result of lots of hard work and dedication but also the implementation of a tried and true mindset obtained through many years of coaching and teaching that is applied at the early stages of developing players through fundamentals. The North Delta girl’s basketball program hasn’t reached the level of a Leake or Brookhaven but they are navigating their way in that direction.

Coach’s corner……..
This week: North Delta head coach Phil Douglas
*What or who inspired you to get into coaching?
“I have felt that I wanted to coach since I was in the 6th grade. I started coaching youth baseball in the summer when I was 14 and continued to work with that program for 22 years. It has always intrigued me the "chess match" that takes place as coaches make adjustments during the course of the game. Having surrendered my life to full time Christian service when I was a teenager, I saw coaching as a platform to be used as a witness for the Lord. There are many coaches who have been my mentors. Early in my coaching career I used to work with Van Chancellor in his summer camps and he would come to my school and spend a week with me working my camp. I would pick his brain every opportunity I had. I was in the same division with Doyle Wolverton in the early '80s and had the opportunity to learn from his work ethic. Richard Duease and I have been friends for years and the list goes on and on of coaches that I have borrowed from to make me a better coach. I will never forget one of the first MAC coaching clinics I attended. In walks Bert Jenkins and Gerald Austin. You would have thought Moses and Aaron had just walked in. I was in awe of the programs they established and maintained. I continue to learn from coaches of all ages.”
*North Delta has jumped four spots in the latest Southern Sports & Travel rankings, are your girls starting to gel at the right time?
“This team has matured tremendously since the beginning of the season. We have 9 sophomores, 1 junior and 3 seniors on our roster. It has really been rewarding to see how this team has grown. Quality wins over opponents such as MRA, Delta, Pillow, Magnolia Heights, Marshall, and Indianola have given my young team confidence that they can make a legitimate run in the post season.”
*What are the strengths and weaknesses of your squad? Depth & experience?
“It has really been amazing how this program has evolved in the 4 years I have been at North Delta. The varsity program had not won a game for 2 years prior to me coaching them. Our first year we went 12-15 with only 5 varsity players on the roster which included 4 sophomores and 1 freshman. We played 3 - 8th graders up and down just to have a team. The following season one of our starters transferred to public school so that left us with 4. Using 4 jr high girls playing up and down we improved our record to 24-12, advanced to the second round of the north state, losing to Bayou, the north state runner-up, in the closing moments of the game to narrowly miss going to the state tournament. This year we moved from A to AA. Our team has grown to 13 legitimate varsity players which includes the girl that went to the public school who decided to come back to North Delta. Most games we mix 9 players in our rotation only 3 of whom are seniors. These girls won 68 games as jr high players, were district 1A runner-up in '06, and district champions in '08 so they know how to win. It is hard to single out one person you have to stop to beat us because we have such a balanced scoring attack. We have good depth at the post and the perimeter so obviously that is a strength. You could look at our youth and not being battle tested at the varsity level as a weakness but as I said earlier these quality wins are really boosting our confidence. At this point I have to mention our jr high team for this year. We had 7 key players from our 24-1 district champion team move to varsity so you would think with such a young team there would be a rebuilding year, but not the case. We are 12-2 right now and plan on finishing strong in district play. We start 4- 8th graders and 1- 9th grader and rotate 4 to 5- 8th graders most games. We have 22 on the jr high team this year and next year will have 31 next year. The future of girl’s basketball at North Delta will hopefully be strong for many years to come.”
*Talk about the basketball program at North Delta.....how much time is spent with the younger players with regards to fundamentals, what is the ideal age to start teaching fundamentals and is there ever enough time to teach the game?
“I have already talked about how the program has evolved. My first year at ND I began a pee wee program. I devoted every Saturday from October thru January to working with our 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. Overall this year we have 56 girls involved in basketball from the 5th thru the 12th grades. That's not bad for a school that is just barely AA. I have 3 children of my own. Two of them played ball at the collegiate level, were all state and played in the all star games. I started working with them by the time they could walk so no, they’re never too young. We have a 1 year old granddaughter and we have already started working with her. I think that it should be fun though and every coach and parent needs to understand that basketball isn't for everybody.”
*Which player or players provide the team leadership that is so critical for success?
“We have been to the team camp at MRA each year I have coached at North Delta. During this week we elect team captains. This is not just a title, it is a responsibility. Obviously we look to them for leadership but not just to them. Each game is an opportunity. Success builds confidence and confidence success. Our players know who the "go to" people are in the closing moments of the game, but I don't want anyone on the floor who isn't willing to take the shot to win the game.”
*What is the biggest challenge with regards to preparing your girls week in and week out as post season play approaches?
“Every game is a challenge. There are no "cupcakes" left on our schedule. For example, this week we play Kirk again at Kirk, Carroll at Carroll, and Marshall at home. You have to be mentally and physically focused for every game. My wife, Nancy, is my assistant coach and between us we have practice running like a factory. We work as a team to prepare the girls mentally and physically for each challenge.”
*If you could change one thing about high school basketball what would it be?
“I can't single out any one thing that I would change. I have been blessed to be a part of a large fraternity called coaching. My first chance to coach at the varsity level was at North Delta in '79 when it was at Pleasant Grove. Overall I have spent 18 years coaching in the private school and 16 in the public school. Early in my career I felt that the overall perception of public schools was that private school athletics and coaching was inferior. I think that we get too caught up in the public school/private school thing. I have good friends who coach in both leagues, have coached in the public and private school all star games and have taken my teams to state championships in both leagues. Coaching is coaching period! If you're a coach, you teach the game. This doesn't change. Respect the game for what it is. The squeaking of the tennis shoes, the smell of popcorn, the roar of the crowd, the excitement in the dressing room after a big win, and seeing kids grow and learn and some to go on and play in college. These are the things that make the sport so much fun and so much a part of who I am and hope to be for many more years.”
*Do you like the new playoff format that allows only three teams to advance each week?
“Having coached for 34 years I have seen it all. I don't really have strong opinions concerning this. Obviously it makes the consolation game much more important.”
*What will it take for North Delta to make a run in the post season?
“A very successful coach once told me that he had rather be lucky than good any day. I think that it takes a little of both. You have to have everyone healthy, play well at the right time, be in a favorable bracket, and play the game well enough to be in a position to win in the last minute of the game. That's where a little luck doesn't hurt.”

The Douglas resume………
*Overall coaching record: 603-295
*Coach of the Year: 13 times
*2002 MAC 3A State Coach of the Year
*2003 MAC All Star Coach
*2009 MPSA All Star Coach
*B.S. University of Mississippi ‘73
*MEd University of Mississippi ‘78
*Masters in Leadership Delta State ‘94

Presbyterian takes two from Parklane

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

The Presbyterian Bobcats earned a hard fought 63-54 win over host Parklane last night in McComb. With the win the 3rd ranked Bobcats moved to 13-4 overall and 4-1 in division play.
Presbyterian threatened to put the game out of reach early on as they raced out to a 9-0 lead just three minutes into the opening quarter. Hayden Eustachy score seven of the Bobcat’s first nine points and finished the first quarter with nine as Presbyterian took a 13-5 lead into the second quarter.

(Above) Cade Martin of Presbyterian (#25) gets a piece of a shot from Jared Bullock (#32) of Parklane
Presbyterian opened the second quarter with a Mitchell Moore steal and lay-in to push the lead to 15-5 but Parklane answered with five straight points as Jared Bullock hit a basket plus one and Steven Swindle converted off a Presbyterian turnover to trim the deficit to 15-10 with just one minute gone in the quarter. Chet Wilson’s 12 foot jumper at the 3:32 mark pulled the Pioneers to within three at 19-16 and a steal and basket by Nick Penn narrowed the margin to 19-18 with three minutes left in the half. With Presbyterian holding a slim 24-22 lead Parklane pulled even at 24-24 when Chet Wilson found Jared Bullock on an inbounds play under the Pioneer basket with 42 seconds left in the opening half.
Parklane took their first lead of the night at 26-24 on a Parker Moore drive and lay-in on the Pioneer’s first possession of the third quarter. That lead moved to 28-24 just 14 seconds later as Steven Swindle scored on a transition basket. Presbyterian regained the lead following a Parklane turnover at the 5:57 mark of the quarter as Hayden Eustachy nailed a 3-pointer from the wing to put the Bobcats up 29-28. Neither team would enjoy more than a four point advantage in a third quarter that consisted of four lead changes and three ties. The quarter ended with the score knotted up at 36-36.

(Above) James Akers (#5) of Presbyterian in the middle of five Parklane defenders
Presbyterian’s Cade Martin pulled down an offensive rebound and scored to break a 40-40 tie with 5:43 left in the game and the Bobcats ran off ten unanswered points to take a 50-40 lead with 2:43 left in regulation. Parker Moore’s 3-pointer cut the deficit to seven at 50-43 with 2:34 left but Parklane would get no closer as Presbyterian hit 10/12 free throws the final two minutes to take a 63-54 road win.
Hayden Eustachy had a game high 14 points to lead Presbyterian, Gage Garner added 12, James Akers had 11, Cade Martin 8, Hunter Hawkins 7, Mitchell Moore 5 and Drew Deen 3 points.

(Above) Parklane's Parker Moore (#11) with two of his 12 pts
Parklane slipped to 10-6 and 1-3 with the loss. The Pioneers were led by Jared Bullock with 13 points, Parker Moore had 12, Nick Penn 10, Steven Swindle 8, Chet Wilson 7 and Bryce Bean and Taylor Smith 2 apiece.
Presbyterian will host Copiah on Thursday while Parklane travels to Jackson Prep.

PC…13…11…12…27…63
PA….5….19…12…18…54

Girls...........
The Presbyterian Lady Bobcats worked through a slow start last night to take a 41-21 win over Parklane in McComb. Katye Magee and Shealy Molpus combined for 31 points as the second ranked Lady Bobcats improved to 13-5.
Parklane struggled to get a shot off against the stringent Presbyterian man-to-man defense in the first quarter but found themselves only down three points as the low scoring opening quarter ended with Presbyterian up 5-2.(Above) Presbyterian's Alex Bradley with a jumper
Katye Magee started the second quarter off with a 3-pointer from the corner to put the Lady Bobcats up 8-2 but Kellen Choate answered with a 3-pointer of her own from the top of the key to close the gap to 8-5 with 5:25 left in the half. Unfortunately for Parklane that would be their only points in the quarter and Katye Magee took over as the senior scored nine points in the quarter to help Presbyterian take a 16-5 lead into the locker-room at the half.
It didn’t take long for the scoring to heat up in the third quarter. Emily Alford started the quarter with a jumper for the Lady Pioneers and at the 4:33 mark Kellen Choate nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key to help Parklane pull to within six points at 18-12. Presbyterian managed to keep Parklane at bay as Shealy Molpus hit a 17 footer off the glass with 4:04 left. The senior finished the quarter with a driving basket with just 7 seconds left to give the Lady Bobcats a 30-19 advantage entering the final quarter.

(Above) Presbyterian's Katye Magee
Presbyterian ran off six straight points to start the final quarter. Molpus converted off a Parklane turnover, Katye Magee hit a jumper from the elbow and Alex Bradley hit a bucket to quickly put the Lady Bobcats up 36-19 with 4:23 left in the game. Parklane’s only basket of the quarter came on an Emily Alford baseline jumper at the 4:03 mark to move the score to 36-21. Presbyterian finished the scoring on an Erin Smith assist to Alex Bradley in the final minute as the Lady Bobcats left McComb with a 41-21 win.

Katye Magee had a game high 17 points to lead Presbyterian, Shealy Molpus added 14, Erin Holifield and Alex Bradley had 4 each and Erin Smith 2.
With the loss Parklane fell to 7-9 and 0-4. The Lady Pioneers were led by Kellen Choate with 9 points, Emily Alford added 6, Molly Adams 4 and Leighton Honea 2.
Presbyterian hosts Copiah on Thursday while Parklane travels to Jackson Prep.

PC…5…11…14…11…41
PA…2….3….14….2..21

Brookhaven sweeps Columbia

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

Sidney Chaffin and Jake Reed combined for 33 points to lead top ranked Brookhaven to a 55-43 win over #2 Columbia on Monday night in Columbia. With the win Brookhaven takes a commanding 4-0 lead in district play. Two of those are road wins at Bowling Green at Columbia.
Columbia got out to an early 5-2 first quarter lead on a Drew Broome basket and a 3-pointer from Cole Oglesbee and would take a low scoring 8-7 advantage into the second quarter.

(Above) Sidney Chaffin led Brookhaven with 18 points including three 3-pointers
Columbia opened up the second quarter on fire as Tanner Pace hit a basket from the elbow and then fed Taylor Fortenberry with an assist to put Columbia up 12-9 with 6:44 left in the half. Following a Jake Reed basket to trim the deficit to 12-11, Pace hit two free throws and Christian Robbins had a lay-in at the 5:39 mark to put Columbia up 16-11. Brookhaven pulled to within one point after a Brock Smith baseline jumper and a transition basket from Mark Rushing. Then Brookhaven center Sidney Chaffin took over as the junior scored ten points in the remaining four minutes of the half. Chaffin scored off an offensive rebound with 3:48 left to put Brookhaven on top 17-16. Following a Columbia turnover Chaffin nailed a 3-pointer from the wing to extend the lead to 20-16. Drew Broome answered with a 3-pointer of his own at the 2:32 mark to keep Columbia to within one point at 20-19 but Brookhaven finished the quarter strong as Jamison Powell hit a turnaround jumper and Chaffin hit with a short jumper off the glass to push the lead out to 24-19 with just 1:23 left. Following a Tanner Pace free throw, Chaffin hit another 3-pointer from the wing to give Brookhaven a 27-20 lead at the halfway point. Brookhaven finished the final 4:49 of the second quarter with a 16-4 run. (Above) Drew Broome (#10) of Columbia gets a shot over Jake Reed of Brookhaven
Brookhaven quickly extended their lead to 30-20 on a Sidney Chaffin 3-pointer to start the third quarter. Columbia pulled to within seven points at 32-25 on a Drew Broome 12 footer over Sidney Chaffin with 4:17 to go in the quarter but Brookhaven put together a 10-3 run to finish the third quarter and their biggest lead of the night at 42-28.
Columbia cut the Brookhaven lead down to seven points at 42-35 with 4:27 left in the game following a Tanner Pace basket off a Brookhaven turnover, but could get no closer than that as Brookhaven nailed 9/10 free throws in the final three minutes of the game to seal the win and move to 13-4.

(Above) Sidney Chaffin (#33) of Brookhaven about to go glass over Christian Robbins (#0) of Columbia
Sidney Chaffin had a game high 18 points to lead Brookhaven, Jake Reed added 15, Jamison Powell 9, Brock Smith 8, Bubba Keene 3 and Mark Rushing 2 points.
Columbia was led by Drew Broome with 17 points, Tanner Pace had 11, Cole Oglesbee and Christian Robbins had 6 apiece and Taylor Fortenberry 3.
Brookhaven will host Central Hinds tonight in another district 4AA matchup.
With the loss Columbia slips to 12-5 and 2-1 and will travel to Simpson on Thursday.
BA…7…20…15…13…55
CA…8…12….8….15…43

Girls action.....

Brookhaven had little trouble in taking a 65-38 win over Columbia last night as the 2nd ranked Lady Cougars improved to 16-3 and 4-0 in district play. Laura Beth Wright, Anna Lofton and Terah Winborne combined for 40 points as Brookhaven shook off a sluggish first quarter to win going away.
Brookhaven got out to an early 6-2 lead but Columbia stayed close when Lauren Williamson’s jumper closed the gap to 9-6 with just over three minutes left in the opening quarter. Brookhaven ended the quarter with a 13-7 advantage following a baseline lay-in from Terah Winborne and a Mary Lindsey Magee 15 footer.

.

(Above) Sissy Price (#15) of Columbia defended by Anna Katelyn Mangold (#33) and Laura Beth Wright (#21) of Brookhaven
Brookhaven increased the lead to eleven at 20-9 with 5:37 left in the half following a Winborne basket off a Columbia turnover. An Ashton Scarborough assist to Lauren Williamson pulled Columbia to within seven points at 20-13 but Brookhaven ended the half on a Laura Beth Wright offensive rebound and put back with 21 seconds left to give the Lady Cougars their biggest lead of the game at 30-16.
Brookhaven opened the third quarter with fourteen straight points to go up 44-16. Brookhaven took their biggest lead of the night at 48-21 on a Laura Beth Wright assist to Anna Katelyn Mangold with 1:35 left in the third quarter. Columbia’s Ashton Scarborough scored the last two baskets of the quarter to trim the deficit to 48-27.
Ashton Scarborough’s transition basket with 4:42 left in the final quarter made it 54-34 but Columbia would get no closer as Brookhaven pulled away to take the 65-38 win.

(Above) Hannah Martin (#21) of Columbia

Laura Beth Wright led Brookhaven with 16 points, Terah Winborne and Anna Lofton added 12 each, Anna Katelyn Mangold had 8, Summer Calhoun 7, Mary Lindsey Magee 6 and Haley Langston and Meredith Allen 2 apiece.
Columbia fell to 12-7 and 2-1 in district play. The Lady Cougars were led by Ashton Scarborough who had a game high 22 points, Lauren Williamson added 9, Sissy Price had 3 and Kelsey Cooper and Meredith Bass 2 each.
BA…13…17…18…17…65
CA….7…..9..11…11..38

Presbyterian Christian School of Hattiesburg has schedule openings they need to fill in basketball. January 18th, 19th, 28th and February 6th.

Please contact head coach Gary Harris at 1-662-230-3343 or head coach Missy Bilderback at 601-606-3623 if you are interested in scheduling games with Presbyterian on these dates.

Glenbrook holds off Prairie View

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

The sixth ranked Glenbrook Apaches got a game high 25 points from Colton Spurlock and held on to defeat Prairie View 52-45 in Alexandria on Saturday. Glenbrook upped their season mark to 15-5 as they prepare for the opening of district play this Friday against River Oaks.
Prairie View got out to an early 4-2 lead on two baskets from Conner Smith. Glenbrook’s Thomas Beam hit a 3-pointer from the wing with 3:24 to go in the opening quarter to put the Apache’s up 5-4 but the Spartans answered as Robby Jones hit a turnaround jumper from ten feet to reclaim a 6-5 advantage for Prairie View. Colton Spurlock finished the quarter with two baskets in the final 53 seconds to give Glenbrook a 9-6 lead after one quarter of play.

(Above) Colton Spurlock (#22) of Glenbrook led the Apaches with 25 pts
Glenbrook started the second quarter with a 7-2 run to extend the lead to 16-8 with 4:20 remaining in the half but Prairie View kept climbing back as the Spartans pulled to within three points at 18-15 on a Chase Anderson drive with 1:33 left. Glenbrook would get a free throw from DeAngelo McDonald but Prairie View ended the half with baskets from Dylan Tarver and Anderson to knot the game at 19-19.
Colton Spurlock started the third quarter with a 3-pointer from the wing against the Spartan man-to-man defense to put Glenbrook up 22-19 but at the 5:22 mark Robby Jones hit a 3-pointer of his own to tie the game at 24-24. Glenbrook then went on a 9-0 run as four different Apaches scored to increase the lead to 33-24 with just under five minutes left in the quarter. Glenbrook’s Matt Moorehead hit a jumper from the elbow and converted on a Prairie View turnover with 27 seconds remaining to end the quarter and Glenbrook enjoying a 39-29 lead.
Glenbrook took their biggest lead at 43-29 on a Colton Spurlock assist to DeAngelo McDonald at the 6:53 mark of the final quarter. The Spartans could get no closer than ten points until midway through the quarter when a Chase Anderson steal and bucket trimmed the deficit to 44-36 with 4:48 left. The Glenbrook lead was cut to five points at 46-41 following another Anderson steal and basket with 2:48 remaining in the game but a Spurlock baseline drive basket plus one quickly pushed the lead back to nine points at 49-41. Following a Prairie View turnover Spurlock sealed the win with a drive and finger-roll basket that put the Apaches up 51-41 with under two minutes to play.
“We made some adjustments at the half,” said Glenbrook head coach Chris Kourvelas. “We got some zone looks from Prairie View in the second half and were able to capitalize on some turnovers. We have some work to do and we’ve been in a shooting slump lately but district play is about to start and that’s a new season,” said Kourvelas. “It’s time we start proving to ourselves that we can play.” (Above) Robby Jones (#11) of Prairie View stuffs a Colton Spurlock attempt
Senior Colton Spurlock led the Apaches, the southpaw had a game high 25 points, Thomas Beam added 9, Matt Moorehead 7 and DeAngelo McDonald and Zach Specht had 5 apiece.
Prairie View fell to 12-8 on the season. Robby Jones led the Spartans with 16 points, Chase Anderson had 10, Conner Smith 9 and Dylan Tarver 5.
Next up for Glenbrook is a district opener at River Oaks on Friday while Prairie View opens their district play as they host Cenla also on Friday.

GA…9…10…20…13…52
PV…6…13…10…16…45

River Oaks starting to hit stride

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

The River Oaks Mustangs grabbed their first lead at 5-3 early in the first quarter and never looked back as they cruised to an 80-56 win over Cenla Christian in Alexandria on Saturday night. With the win the Mustangs improved to 10-2 and enter the Southern Sports & Travel rankings at #10 this week.
River Oaks took their first lead just two minutes into the opening quarter when Vincent Moore nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Cenla’s Reagan Lane hit a basket at the four minute mark to keep the score close at 10-7 but River Oaks closed out the quarter with a Casey Rahn basket plus one to finish an 11-4 run and a 21-11 advantage heading into the second quarter. (Above) Martez Sellers with two of his game high 26 pts
Cenla stayed within striking distance to open the second quarter and with 5:39 left in the half David Ober converted on a River Oaks turnover to pull the Lions to within five points at 23-18. Martez Sellers answered for the Mustangs with an eight footer from the baseline and Tony Gilly added a 3-pointer from the corner to push the lead back out to ten points at 28-18 with 4:38 left. River Oaks ran off ten more unanswered points before Cenla got a Joey Sterling basket at the horn as the half ended with River Oaks on top 38-20.

River Oaks would take a 58-38 lead into the final quarter as Cenla would get no closer than thirteen points in the second half.
“We’re beginning to gel and get into basketball shape,” said River Oaks head coach Roger Stockton. “We finally had an opportunity where we could have three or four practices in a row this week.”
Martez Sellers had a game high 26 points for the Mustangs, Tony Gilly added 14 points, Vincent Moore had 13, Ryan MacGregor 7, Kaleb Legg 6, Darryl Barnes 4, Casey Rahn and Seth Lawrence 3 apiece and Taylor Frith 2.
“Our love our depth this year,” said Stockton. “We have several kids who can come off the bench and play and we have just one senior on the roster.” (Above) David Ober of Cenla drives to the rim
Cenla drops to 10-4 on the season and was led by Trey Green with 12 points, David Ober and Reagan Lane had 10 each, Dar Green 9, Joey Sterling 8 and Graham Kelly 7.
Next up for River Oaks is a road trip to face Riverfield on Thursday while Cenla will take on Red River Academy on Tuesday.

RO...21...17...20...22...80
CC...11....9....18...18...56

From the notebook………..

*January is here and now the gloves are off, no more holiday distractions. In just over three weeks post season tournaments get underway and pressure builds. District play has been ongoing for all teams with the exception of those in district 6AA who will fire things up next week. One of the most competitive districts in boy’s play looks to be 1AA. North Delta and West Memphis sit atop the standings at 3-1 while Marshall is just one game behind at 2-1 and those three teams all play each other next week.
*On the girl’s side Leake could very well run away with district 3AA. The top ranked Rebelettes have jumped out to a 4-0 mark in district play with Simpson just behind at 2-1. In district 1AA Kirk has raced out to a 17-1 overall record and a 4-0 district mark but the 3rd ranked Raiderettes may get some heat from a North Delta squad that is coming off big wins over Starkville, Magnolia Heights and Pillow.
*In AAA the Presbyterian boys let a golden opportunity slip by as Jackson Prep squeezed out a 51-49 win in Hattiesburg but they did make a statement that they belong in the top tier in their class along with Prep and MRA.
*Much of the talk in AAA girl’s play has been centered on East Rankin and Presbyterian but Jackson Academy, Washington and MRA are playing exceptionally well. None of those three have more than five losses on the season.
*Speaking of East Rankin and Presbyterian, I’ll be covering that game tonight if it’s not postponed and I’ve been warned that it will be standing room only in Hattiesburg. Katye Magee of PCS and Brooke Rhodes of ERA, arguably two of the best players in the MAIS, will face off in the first of two regular season matchups between the two.
*West Memphis guard David Robilio should begin getting lots of attention. The junior is averaging 22 points, 5 assists and 2 steals a game for the Black Knights who are ranked #8 with a 10-4 mark. Robilio is shooting 81% from the free throw line and has nailed 36 three-pointers on the season.
*Another player who really caught my eye last week was Brookhaven point guard Terah Winborne. The sophomore not only has the capability of putting up big numbers but she can flat out play defense. That was proven against East Rankin’s Brooke Rhodes last week in the finals of the Brookhaven Holiday Tourney. Winborne did a phenomenal job holding Rhodes to 10 points, just two in the second half.
*All our prayers should be with Dylan Pressgrove and Matthew Rymer of Trinity as they recover from an automobile accident, Callie Cole of Brookhaven who is home after three months in the hospital following an automobile accident and our Centreville friends who suffered the loss of 11th grader Emile Garrett in another automobile accident. Brodie LaFontaine was also injured and is at Field Memorial Community Hospital.

Quick notes……
*Did you know that the post season tournament format has changed this season? Only three teams will advance from each post season tournament instead of four. What that means is the third place game will now be an elimination game.
*Prairie View’s Mallory Hall has signed to play softball for Hinds Community College. The senior catcher has been assured a starting slot next season.
*The Columbia boy’s basketball team has four players averaging double figures in scoring this season.
*The Kirk Invitational basketball tournament began in 1971 and is the longest running in the MAIS.
*Brookhaven put on a great tournament last week that had a post season feel to it. Seven of the participating teams were ranked in the top five of AAA or AA polls. Their hospitality was great but I did receive some good natured ribbing about my pick to win the state title game in football.

Comments:

Anonymous said...
Thanks for all the info you provide, but the PCS Prep game was played at Prep.

Marshall improves to 13-5
Courtesy of The South Reporter

Marshall put a scare into Briarcrest Christian School of Memphis, Tenn., before falling 60-45 on December 28. The Patriots led 29-25 at the half and trailed by just one following three periods. But the Saints went on a 22-8 run in the fourth to ice their win. Jordan Wyke gunned in 22 points for MA, including four threes. He scored 12 of his 22 in the second quarter. Caleb Byrd added 11 points, nine of those coming on three-pointers. Dailey said his Patriots fought hard and the final margin was deceiving. “The kids executed our game plan extremely well,” he said. “We learned a lot about ourselves in this game.
The next day the Patriots were in cruise control throughout as they routed Starkville Academy 67-26. All 11 Patriots scored. Wyke led the way with 16, including four threes. Jake Omedeo scored 10 and Byrd eight. MA was up 34-9 at the halfway point.
The Patriots then faced St. Benedict Wednesday of last week in the consolation bracket championship game. Just 11 days earlier the big school from neighboring Tennessee had beaten Marshall by 24. But not this time. The Patriots, in one of their best efforts of the season, shocked the Eagles 56-50 in overtime. “I’m proud of the boys – not a bad response to the 24-point beating earlier,” Dailey said. “This is a signature-type win that can propel us to where we have to be. If we continue to grow defensively, it will be a fun year.”
MA took an 11-4 lead after one quarter on Taylor Maurey’s drive to the hoop. St. Benedict rallied to lead 24-19 at the half and 31-27 following three periods. The turning point came as the fourth quarter started. The Eagles’ coach was whistled for two technical fouls and ejected from the game. Jordan Brock calmly cashed in all four free throws and knotted the game at 31. MA went up 41-36 at the 3:08 mark on Wyke’s three. But St. Benedict didn’t die. The Eagles went up 43-41 with 1:29 left. Another Wyke three and Brock’s steal and short shot put the Pats on top 46-43 within the last minute. Then the Eagles hit a three with 11 ticks remaining to send the game to OT. MA took the lead in the extra period on another Wyke three. In the final 45 seconds, John Tomlinson and Wyke hit crucial free throws to nail down the six-point victory.
Wyke scored 21, including five threes, for the Patriots (12-5 on the season). Brock and Ferrell added 10 each. Maurey scored eight.
The Marshall boys struggled but downed Falkner 66-61 Saturday in the Premiere Shoot-Out at North Pontotoc High School. “This was a good win in a tough setting,” Coach Dailey said. The Pats, who led by 18-13 after one quarter, went up by seven in the second period on Byrd’s three, but they couldn’t pull away from a pesky group of Eagles. MA was on top 32-30 at the half. Marshall actually fell behind by as many as three in the third but went up 55-47 at the end of the period on Maurey’s drive and basket. It got tight again in the fourth. Falkner had snatched a 60-59 lead with 3:22 left. Wyke hit a jump shot, and Maurey and Byrd nailed some free throws down the stretch to secure the five-point win.
Maurey scored 19, Byrd 14 and Ferrell 11.
“I felt this eight-game stretch through Christmas and the first week back would tell us a lot about ourself,” Dailey said about his 13-5 squad. “This was a good start but Myrtle, Magnolia Heights and Hickory Flat to go.”

North Delta coach Douglas logs 600th win
Courtesy of The Panolian
Chris Brown poured in a season-high 20 points to lead the North Delta boys to a 60-40 romp over Starkville Academy last Wednesday afternoon to salvage the final game of the Magnolia Heights Tournament.
Geri Lamm added nine points while Corbin Baker and Ethan Frick contributed with eight and seven points. Derrick Shawn and Bryan Nickle chipped in with five points each. Bailey Guckert registered three while Matthew Barefoot finished with two points.
The North Delta girls were not as fortunate however as the Lady Wave fell to Magnolia Heights 49-41 in overtime.
Lauren Kimzey and Laci DuBravec each scored 12 points in the loss. Bradi Beard followed with nine points, six steals and six assists while Sara Waldrip added three points and pulled down nine rebounds.
Charla Shea Darby and Katelyn Still rounded out the scoring with three and two points each. North Delta (12-8) opened the tournament with a 40-39 squeaker over Starkville last Monday.
The victory was win number 600 in the coaching career of Green Wave head coach Phil Douglas.
Both varsity teams return to the hardwood tonight to face Pillow in the Kirk tournament.
The Lady Wave will tip off at 6:30 followed by boys action at 7:45.
A victory by the Lady Wave will advance them to the winners’ bracket Friday against the Oak Hill/ Indianola winner while a loss puts them in the losers’ bracket Thursday against the West Memphis/Heritage loser.

Glenbrook Apaches fall to McLeod in OT

Courtesy of The Minden Press-Herald
The Glenbrook Apaches traveled out of state Tuesday night for a non-district game with McLeod (Texas) High School.
The game went into overtime, before the Apaches lost 90-79.
“It went down to the wire,” Glenbrook head coach Chris Kourvelas said. “We hustled back in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but they out-hustled us in the o.t. That kind of sucked the wind out of us.”
Glenbrook out-scored McLeod 20-16 in the fourth quarter, but were out-scored 18-7 in the extra period.
“It was a learning experience for us,” Kourvelas said. “It’s a humbling loss before district starts. But once district starts, it won’t matter because you’re 0-0 at the beginning of district play and you have a clean slate.”
Thomas Beam had a break out game for the Apaches as he totaled 23 points, with 15 coming on five three-pointers. Colton Spurlock scored 25 points and pulled down 10 rebounds and DeAngelo McDonald had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
“We’ll learn for this,” Kourvelas said. “It’s all about keeping our minds on the overall goal, and that is making it to South State and then continuing on to State from there. We’re excited about starting district next week.”

Glenbrook fell to 12-5 with the loss.

Rebels move to 3-0 in district; Lady Mustangs win

Courtesy of The Greenwood Commonwealth
The Carroll Academy Rebels moved to 3-0 in District 2-AA play with a 42-37 victory over Oak Hill Tuesday night in Carrollton.
The Rebels improve to 14-1 overall and will continue league play Friday at Manchester in Yazoo City. Carroll led 33-27 at the half and 33-27 at the end of the third period. Breland Marett and Ken Daves led the way for CA with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Nick Mumme chipped in with 11.
The CA Lady Rebels lost 47-36 as Haley Liddell and Kacy Beavers scored eight points each. The Lady Rebels trailed 31-11 at the half.

The Pillow Academy Lady Mustangs defeated Washington School 44-41 Tuesday night in Greenville, while the Mustangs lost 51-49 to the Generals.
The PA girls improve to 10-6 overall. They led 27-17 at the half, but Washington tied it at 30 heading into the final period. Holly Ann Pannell led the Lady Mustangs with 18 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Dasha Tsema had nine points and nine boards, while Kaitlin McDaniel added eight points. Mary Langdon Gallagher had a team-high 14 rebounds and four points.
The Lady Mustangs face North Delta at 6:30 tonight in the first round of the Kirk Invitational in Grenada.

In the boys' game, PA led 25-21 at the half and trailed 36-34 going into the fourth period. Sam Shipley and Will Andrews had 14 points each to lead the Mustangs. Reed Cook added 10. The Mustangs (9-5) will face North Delta at 7:45 tonight in the first round of the Kirk Invitational in Grenada.

Saints turn back Prairie View

Courtesy of The Bastrop Daily Enterprise
Trinity Episcopal pulled away late for a 61-53 win over Prairie View on Tuesday night. It was tied 13-13 at the end of the opening quarter and 27-27 at halftime, before the Saints broke out to a 44-39 third quarter lead and outscored the visiting Spartans 17-14 in the final frame. “We played well enough to win except for the last two or three minutes of the ballgame,” said Prairie View coach Billy Pee. “We had too many turnovers late in the game. We missed nine free throws and got beat by eight points. “We’ve gotten better, but we can’t quite get over the hump in close ballgames. I thought Seth (Allen) had a good game handling the ball and I thought Connor (Smith) had a good game on the boards.”

Givonni Dent was Trinity’s offensive catalyst with 14 points and Jake Winston added 10. The Saints also received nine apiece from R.J. Fleming and Taylor Strahan and eight from Kent King.

Chase Anderson rattled home a game-high 22 points for the Spartans (12-6). Also contributing to the scoring were Dylan Tarver with eight, Robby Jones with seven, Gabe White and Smith with six and Allen with four.

Ogden rallies Trinity in fourth quarter
Courtesy of the Bastrop Daily Enterprise

Bethany Ogden scored eight of her nine points in the fourth quarter to rally Trinity Episcopal to a 41-36 decision over the Prairie View Lady Spartans on Tuesday night. Prairie View led 22-16 at halftime and carried a 31-28 advantage into the final quarter. Ogden drained a 3-pointer and made 5-of-7 free throws as the Lady Saints outscored Prairie View 13-5 in the fourth frame.

“We have to get better,” said Prairie View coach Dave Farrell. “We have to go back to work (Wednesday) and we have to go back to work in earnest.” Brandis White paced the Lady Saints (13-4) with 12 points and Madilyn Cross had 10. Prairie View (12-4) received 18 points from Caroline Oliphant, nine from Logan Tubbs, five from Jerri Ann Lord and four from Molly Gregory.

Prairie View will play at home Friday vs. River Oaks. Game time is 6:30 p.m.

Notes: Prairie View sophomore forward Victoria Billings missed the game with a turned ankle. ... Tuesday was a bad day all the way around at Prairie View. Bus trouble forced the players to travel in separate vehicles. Due to a problem with a drain at the school, Farrell was up until the wee hours of the night washing uniforms. Worst of all, Bucky Diel, a longtime supporter of the school, passed away Tuesday afternoon.

AAA Boys Action

MRA too much for Raiders

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

The top ranked MRA Patriots improved to 14-2 last night with a 50-35 road win at Jackson Academy. Justin Malone hit a turnaround jumper to start things off and teammates Craig Bell and Ryan Ellis nailed 3-pointers as the Patriots raced out to an early 8-0 lead over the home-standing Jackson Academy Raiders. Andrew Iupe hit a 3-pointer at the 2:58 mark of the first quarter to get the Raiders on the board and two Will Marley free throws closed the MRA lead to 8-5 with 2:21 left in the quarter. MRA closed the quarter with two baskets, the last a Craig Bell tip in at the horn to give MRA a 12-5 advantage.

(Above) Andrew Iupe (#3) of Jackson Academy shoots over Justin Malone (#34) of MRA
MRA pushed their lead to 17-7 at the 5:18 mark of the second quarter when Justin Malone muscled in a basket plus one, but the Raiders wouldn’t go away as they slowly began cutting into the Patriots lead. Clayton Dufrey’s eight foot turnaround jumper brought the Raiders to within seven at 22-15 with just under three minutes remaining in the half. Jackson Academy’s Keith Shumaker scored off a steal with seven seconds left as the Raiders finished the last 2:10 of the half with a 6-2 run to head into the locker room down 27-21 at the half.
After Jordan Stentiford of MRA hit an eight footer to start the half Jackson Academy pulled to within four points at 29-25 on two Clayton Dufrey free throws and Andrew Iupe’s drive to the basket, but the Raiders would get no closer as MRA put together a 9-2 run over the next five minutes to finish the quarter up 38-27. (Above) Caleb Miskelly (#13) of MRA checks Keith Shumaker of Jackson Academy
Jackson Academy could get no closer than seven points in the final quarter as MRA hit on 8/10 free throws down the stretch to seal the 50-35 win.
Justin Malone had a game high 14 points to lead MRA, Ryan Ellis and Jordan Stentiford each added 10, Jeffrey Rickels and Craig Bell had 5 each, Caleb Miskelly 4 and Robert Richardson had 2.
For Jackson Academy Clayton Dufrey had 12 points, Andrew Iupe added 9, Will Marley 8 and Keith Shumaker 6 points.
With the loss the #4 ranked Raiders slip to 8-8.
MRA will be participating in the Jackson Academy Invitational the remainder of the week.

MRA...12...15...11...12...50

JA......5....16....6....8....35

(Above) Justin Malone (#34) of MRA altered shots most of the night

(Above) Keith Shumaker (#32) defends Ryan Ellis (#21) of MRA

*Note* The girls game between Jackson Academy and MRA was postponed and re-scheduled.

(Photo at the top of page) Andrew Iupe of Jackson Academy (#3) defended by MRA's Caleb Miskelly (#13)

Canton girls fall to Simpson

The Canton Academy Lady Panthers resumed play after the holidays with a 46-31 district loss to the Simpson Academy Lady Cougars. Canton led 19-18 at half but could never get anything going in the second half offensively. In fact, the Lady Panthers were only able to get 10 shots off during the entire second half. Katie Pepper led Canton in scoring with 14 points and also pulled down 10 rebounds. Christa Smith with 16 was the only Simpson player in double figures.

CA....6...13...4...8...31
SCA..13...5...15.13..46

Canton falls to 0-4 in the conference and 6-10 overall. Their next game is Thursday at home against Veritas.

Simpson improves to 6-9 and 2-1 and will host Heidelberg Thursday.

CONGRATULATIONS TO NORTH DELTA GIRLS COACH PHIL DOUGLAS WHO WON HIS 6ooth GAME IN A 40-39 WIN OVER STARKVILLE ON DECEMBER 28th.

Young Patriots have matured

Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

On Saturday February 20th one team will win its’ last game of the season and claim the AA state championship. The road to Indianola begins in earnest this week as teams delve into district battles to determine who advances through a four week post season that includes district, regional, state and overall tournaments. Assuredly the pressure will mount for many teams as February gets closer due to the new bracket format in which only the top three seeds will advance each week during post season. Those boring consolation games with little at stake are now elimination matchups. It only takes a quick glance at a few districts to realize that some solid teams will end their seasons early with the new format but the quality of basketball will be better for it.
In the latest Southern Sports & Travel rankings the top ten is split with half the teams coming from the south and the other half from the north, a considerable shift from last season. Only six will qualify for the state tournament and of those six its possible no one team will be a clear favorite to take home the hardware.
One team that could very well be in that mix are the Marshall Patriots out of district 1AA. The Patriots, under the direction of head coach Craig Dailey, finished 22-15 last season and are off to a 13-5 start and a #5 ranking.

Coach’s corner…….
This week: Marshall head coach Craig Dailey
*Last season's squad came only a few baskets of upsetting Bowling Green in the state tournament in Brookhaven. How many starters return from last season and how much depth do the guys have?
"Everyone returns from last year including Jake Omedeo & Caleb Byrd (seniors), Chase Ferrell (started as a freshmen last year), Jordan Brock, John Tomlinson, and Taylor Maurey (juniors) who all started last year. Jordan Wyke (sophomore) (a public school transfer from Alcorn Central) has fit into the starting lineup this season and a 9th grade post player, Matt Rappa, is playing up due to eligibility rules and has played quality minutes. We have had 7 players start on and off throughout the season so far. I am as deep as I have ever been, but that’s not saying a lot since most of my championships only played about 6 deep. We have another 9th grader off our undefeated junior high team that could possibly contribute down the stretch. My greatest challenge will be to get this group of individuals to combine into a cohesive unit. I'm not used to having this many options."
*Is there one particular player who is looked upon as the team leader?
"Our two seniors, Caleb Byrd and Jake Omedeo, have come a long way leadership wise. I feel that seniors will always be in a position to lead more than others regardless of their personality because they are the closest to that "final horn" as we call it. There’s something about a senior when it gets toward the end. These two have worked extremely hard trying to build this thing and they deserve a great finish."
*As the mid-point of the season approaches how would you assess your squad's play so far?
"Up and down especially on the defensive end. We must get back to what has made our program successful....We have got to guard first and figure out the rest later. St. Benedict, Briarcrest, two other AAA or public opponents Faulkner, Myrtle, Magnolia Heights and Hickory Flat all before we try to take the lead in the district vs West Memphis on January 11th should tell the tale for us. These opponents will force us to concentrate on the basics and there will be no room for error. St. Benedict spanked us at home and I scouted Briarcrest Tuesday and don't think any of the 5 that started for St. Benedict could start for Briarcrest. It'll be fun and the boys will learn to guard one way or another."
*What's your biggest pet peeve with regards to coaching or high school basketball in general?
"Our slogan for our program is "We Believe". It goes back to the death of my mom my senior year and the lessons that I learned from dealing with that and how it has impacted our program over the years. Every kid that has come through the "We Believe" program has heard the story and has in their own way bought into the belief in something greater than themselves. My girls last year definitely did. I couldn't have been any more proud of them if that had been us drilling that 3 with 20 seconds to play. My championship teams have all found their own piece of this on their run...this group of young men will have to as well. These lessons are what I try to teach the most."
*What is the biggest challenge in preparing kids for post season play?
"For us this year it will be travel. Indianola is in the North, but it is 3 hours away from us. We had to stay the night for our Jr. High district Championship games the last time they hosted. We then will have to travel to Leake for North which almost knocks 4 hours in the head and back to Indianola for State and 3 hours to Jackson for Overall. As I told my boosters, that'll be good problems to have and ain't nothing guaranteed. Two of Brookhaven’s titles wouldn't have happened with this 3 teams advancing format. We travel during the summer and the Brookhaven Christmas tournament most years so we get a lot of practice."
*Can you point to one game that has been the toughest loss while you've been at Marshall?
"T-Boy Lynch of Brookhaven going the length of the floor dagger and then losing to Delta the next day along with the other happenings that I've tried to wipe from my memory, but the losses make it so much sweeter when you win. Never forget sitting by the pool with Coach Deuce after we won our programs first two state titles in one day. We weren't talking about the wins we were talking about the "0-24 days" (My first boy’s team at Delta)."
* Biggest win?
"We set our heights pretty high so it probably hasn't happened yet, but the girls State run: Prairie View, Oak Forest are at the top."
*Overall has the teaching of fundamentals in high school basketball progressed or regressed?
"As a whole it has fell off. You see college and pros that can't hit a free throw, but I believe that the MAIS coaches have definitely held their own. Then again we have to and we have Dale Watts on our side so that counts for at least 20 normal coaches."
*If you could change one rule in high school basketball what would it be?
"I wouldn't. I think a big part of the life lessons we teach as coaches is to learn to play the game and adjust to the way the game is called. They better be able to adjust when they are earning a paycheck and feeding a baby."
*What will it take for Marshall to make a run at a state title in February at Indianola?
"A complete sell-out of self, an evolution into my best defensive team ever, and some luck."

The Dailey resume……
*Overall coaching record: 854-289
*Assistant to Mike Reans and Frank Miller at Delta Academy for one year.
*Spent one year at New Albany High School as girls coach.
*Coached both girls and boys at Delta for 12 years. Won nine state titles and overall runners-up three times.
*Dailey is in his 5th year at Marshall.

Brookhaven Holiday Tournament Finals

Brookhaven tops Bowling Green in boy's final
Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas

The Brookhaven Cougars used a stifling defense and a 24-9 first quarter to upend the 3rd ranked Bowling Green Buccaneers 64-57 in the finals of the Brookhaven Holiday Tournament on Wednesday night. Brookhaven’s frontcourt duo of Jake Reed and Sidney Chaffin combined for 39 points as the Cougar’s capitalized on a turnover laden Bowling Green squad to take the tournament trophy.
Bowling Green got on the board first on a Jaron Edwards to Colton Owens basket at the 7:11 mark of the opening quarter but Brookhaven answered with a 14-2 run that included 3-pointers from Jamison Powell and Sidney Chaffin. Brookhaven increased their lead to 22-6 on a back door pass from Powell to Brock Smith with 1:13 left in the first quarter. Following a Jaron Edwards 3-pointer Brookhaven finished the quarter on a Brock Smith offensive rebound and put back to take a 24-9 lead.
Bowling Green got baskets from Shod Fortenberry and Russell Perry to start the second quarter to trim the deficit to 24-13. Jamison Powell nailed a jumper from 12 feet to answer and Bowling Green turned the ball over on three of their next four possessions and found themselves down 30-15 after a Powell steal and lay-in with just over four minutes left in the opening half. Bowling Green got a 3-point bucket from freshman Mac McElveen and a Jaron Edwards steal and dunk with 3:54 left in the quarter to pull back to within eight points at 30-22. Brookhaven would take a 35-25 lead into the locker-room at the half on a Sidney Chaffin offensive board and lay-in.

(Above) Jamison Powell (#3) of Brookhaven nails a 3-pointer over Colton Owens (#2) of Bowling Green
The Brookhaven lead was trimmed to 35-29 as Dylan Varnado and Shod Fortenberry started the second half with baskets. Bowling Green was unable to get within six points during the third quarter as Sidney Chaffin nailed two jumpers from the elbow and converted on two free throws to help keep Bowling Green at bay. The Cougars ended the third quarter on top 42-35.
Jaron Edwards got Bowling Green to within four points at 42-38 to start the final period as the senior converted on a driving basket plus one at the 7:35 mark but Brookhaven stretched the lead back out to nine points as Jamison Powell and Sidney Chaffin combined for seven points to help the Cougars push the advantage to 50-41 with 4:01 remaining. Bowling Green managed to stay within single digits and an Edwards basket with 1:51 left pulled the Bucs to 55-50 but Brookhaven hit 10/12 free throws (Reed 8/8) down the stretch to preserve a 64-57 win.
“I liked our intensity on defense,” said Brookhaven head coach Dale Watts. “We’re getting better but we have to do a better job rebounding against teams like Bowling Green. Any win is a good win.”
Brookhaven sophomore Bubba Keene pulled up limping midway through the fourth quarter and didn’t return. “He’s fine, just a sprained ankle,” said Watts.
Brookhaven was led by junior big man Sidney Chaffin who had a game high 21 points, Jake Reed added 18, Jamison Powell 16, Brock Smith 6 and Bubba Keene 3 points.
Jaron Edwards had 20 for Bowling Green, Shod Fortenberry added 15, Colton Owens 11, Russell Perry 4, Mac McElveen 3 and Dylan Varnado and Kevin Perry 2 apiece.
Brookhaven improves to 11-4 with the win while Bowling Green falls to 14-4. The two will go head to head again on January 5th in Franklinton.

BA...24...11...7...22...64
BG....9...16...10..22...57
(Photo at top of page) Brookhaven's Sidney Chaffin (#33) with two of his game high 21 pts