From the notebook………….

**It was a phrase I had heard since childhood…….“The older you get the faster time goes by.” August 17^th was a week one Southern Sports & Travel Game of the Week between defending Class AA State Champion Simpson and Leake. Remarkably, 14 weeks later, the 2012 season will wind down this Friday as Class A and Class AA champions are crowned.

Of the twelve games that were covered and featured by Southern Sports & Travel nine were competitive until the end and just three were blowouts. Those twelve games consisted of 13 Class AA teams, 7 Class AAA, 4 Class A and 2,800 miles of travel. That’s roughly the same distance as driving from Bogalusa to Seattle.

**Playoff coverage of the 2012 season has been the best in the five year history of Southern Sports & Travel. In three weeks of post season action each game wasn’t decided until the closing seconds and incredibly each game was won in a different manner.

>>The November 2^nd Class AAA game between Heritage and East Rankin came down to a 26 yard touchdown pass with 1:20 left in the contest.

>>The November 9^th Class AA game between Brookhaven and Lamar was won on a 2 yard run with 33 seconds remaining in regulation.

>>The November 16^th Class AA game between Marshall and North Delta wasn’t settled until a 22 yard field goal with 13 seconds left on the clock.

The three games were decided by 11 total combined points with two visiting teams winning and one home team coming out on top.

**On Friday a new Class AA state champion will be crowned. Already new champions have claimed Class AAA Division I and II titles so will Tri-County be standing alone as the only champion to successfully defend their crown?

Friday’s game with WCCA will be Tri-County’s last in Class A. The Rebels will compete in Class AA for the next two seasons. If Tri-County successfully defends their title they will close out a four year span in Class A that will prove to be one of the most dominant ever. Two state championships and a 50-3 record under the direction of head coach David Blount.

**Update on two former standout MAIS athletes.

Former Brookhaven quarterback Chandler Rogers recently led the Copiah-Linclon Wolfpack to their first state title since 1985. The 2009 graduate went 23/31 for 358 yards and 4 touchdowns in leading Co-Lin to a 41-37 upset of 6^th ranked Mississippi Gulf Coast. Rogers led Brookhaven to a perfect 15-0 season in 2009 and the Class AA State Championship.

Former Central Private basketball standout Dave Jackson is officially an LSU Tiger. The 6’ 5” 200 lb. sophomore has seen playing time in both of the Tiger’s games this season. Jackson, a 2011 graduate of Central Private, led the Rebels to a 27-3 record his senior season under the direction of head coach Ed Palubinskas.

**Basketball season is building heavier each week as the close of football draws near. Multiple requests to lots of coaches and athletic directors have been sent recently asking that they designate someone to report scores following each game and the results have been mixed. Southern Sports & Travel is the source in which most MAIS fans look to for scores but it’s still a challenge meeting their needs. To successfully meet that challenge and provide a source to link all those interested in MAIS athletics together coaches and athletic directors have to be more proactive. The alternative to those searching for scores and data is, and has been, unreliable at best. If you’re a parent, student or a relative to a student-athlete please encourage more participation in reporting scores.
**It's not too late to support Southern Sports & Travel. If your school or business is interested in purchasing a sponsorship or business ad please email aafandaman@yahoo.com or call/text 985-750-3455.